First Time Here… Where to Start?
I hadn’t ever considered entering the bottomless hole that is writing, thinking I’d never have the words to put onto paper. Whilst that is often still the case I decided to give it a go! I must thank Mark Ellis for putting out fantastic resources for successful writing on Medium, truly a lifesaver.
Sitting for hours trying to decide what story to project, what event to write about or where I want to take this I was getting nowhere. Realising that I have to let things flow, talk about what comes to mind, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Right from a young age (I say that like I’m not only 20!) I knew I always wanted to go somewhere, do something practical, get my hands dirty, and explore how things work. This often ranged from cars to bikes to tech or even baking. But inevitably ended up landing a dream apprenticeship straight out of school with a Bio-pharmaceutical company based out of Hertfordshire, combining the hands-on with the technology. Working to further extend my studies, and preparing for the next stages in the ever-evolving world, I often find myself contemplating how often we choose the right path to travel down and how things might have played out had we taken that right turn we were hesitant about back at that junction instead of carrying on the straight and narrow. And if we were brave enough to take that hesitant right turn, where did we end up?
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With the way the Pandemic turned every teenager's school life into a complete 360 spin, it’s no wonder we are at a stage when more and more young people have no chosen or desired career path after the completion of their studies. I was lucky, I knew what I wanted to do and got the perfect opportunity. But even getting to that point involved a setback or two. Being told by a potential employer “We can’t see you as part of our company” was my first taste of the ‘real world’. Now although not the end of the world it was enough to knock me back a few steps and make me ready to settle for attending a college course just because I had to — I was headed for the junction, speeding towards the straight and narrow. Accepting the fact that my life would, for now at least just be doing things because there weren’t many options.
Suddenly, I slammed on the brakes and stopped just long enough to take a peak down that right turn… Finding an apprenticeship where I could contribute, continue my studies and get paid! What seemed like a win-win. Feeling much too far out of my comfort zone, I took that right turn, applied and got the position. Coming from school straight into a workplace with some incredibly smart people took me by surprise. I’d never been too good with making new friends or talking to new people — not exactly ideal when starting your first job! My first right turn definitely seemed to pay off.
I didn’t always take that leap of faith, there has been plenty of times since that day when I’ve carried along the straight and narrow because of fear or anxiety of the unknown — Do I regret this? Yes. Do I wish I could go back and change it? Sometimes. But has it taught me to take that leap of faith, take that right turn more often than I’d like and just say yes to more things? Absolutely!
If I can close on one final note, one final question to ask yourself. When was the last time you did something for you? Did something that you were unsure of? Did something to break from the norm, maybe change something for the better? You’re struggling to answer, aren’t you? Next time you are at that crossroad, just take that leap, make that right turn and see where it might take you — there’s a chance you’ll be surprised.
