Becoming Independent
Twenty. Today, July 4th 2015 as I am turning twenty, America is turning 239. I would have never imagined beginning a new decade in such circumstances but my destiny wanted me to start my third decade in Silicon Valley, the heart of innovations which have shaped and will continue to shape almost every aspect of human condition for the better, hopefully. While riding the Caltrain on my way to see the fireworks with friends, I can’t help but behold the great work done by the pioneers of this nation who made this enormous piece of land inhabitable by man. Although the history of the implementation of this vision include violence, oppression and different waves of immigration whose consequence currently shape the contemporary American society, it also shows what can happen when people from most nations on earth come together and are offered opportunities to thrive and become the best version of themselves.
I have now been living in America for three years and it has been an enlightening experience transitioning from being an Ivorian tourist fascinated by the state of the infrastructures in this country to a resident actively discovering all the “behind the scenes” into how to create a nation where individuals are empowered to fully develop their potential. As the years go by, I have noticed a trend of increasing differentiation between my friends and me.
Prior to college, my friends and I would come from a more or less similar background and be offered the same opportunities to affirm our personality; consequently, the personality range was rather limited. In contrast, halfway through my undergraduate years, the people of my age I meet start to get a better self-understanding and independently choose the guidelines that will shape their lives. Debates about the importance of money, the meaning of life and the choice of a career are increasingly common and almost anyone I am chatting with is going through the phase of “I have a few clues, but I am not sure what I want to do with my life”.
My perspective on this concern is that we should be comfortable being uncomfortable about where our life leads us. Given that we live in a world we don’t totally master, it is very hard to predict with certainty what’s coming next. That said, one way to navigate through this life journey is to listen to our inner voice and keep a flexible list of core principles, which will guide us towards fulfillment. I gave this advice to some of my friends about to graduate and repeated it a number of times: Don’t look at what the outside world and think about what it can bring to you in terms of job security, fame, glory, status; look inside and think about what you can bring to the world.
It is increasingly difficult to think about long-term pursuits as the noise around us persuades us to think about short-term rewards. I think it’s time to go buy some noise-canceling headphones and start listening to our inner voice.
