Face 68.
For the most part of my life I followed what I thought was the norm and what I believed was expected of me. I went to school, chose the subjects which were thought to offer the best opportunities (career-wise), sat for exams, went to university, aimed high to do well, graduated and started working straight away, thinking I'd continue to do what everyone else seemed to be doing i.e. settling down, getting married, buying a house and having a family.
That’s as far as my plans went. Not that this “plan” is a bad one – it is actually a great path to take but, contrary to popular, or at least my belief back then, it is not the only one. Three years into the start of my career, things changed. The research and development site where I was working in had to close down so I decided to leave my home in Malta to continue my studies in the UK. Since I made that move, all the goals I had in mind at the time, were not as certain or as defined as I thought they were.
The move to a different country lacked the stability I was comfortable with back home, but it also opened up new opportunities and new experiences which I had never considered before; partially because I didn’t think these opportunities were even possible but also because I thought it was too late to change the path I had taken. I soon started to focus more on myself and what I truly wanted, rather than what was expected of me. I also began to challenge myself, determined to break out of my comfort zone and to do the things that interested me such as arts, fashion and acting - things which I thought I couldn’t do before because of the preconceived ideas and limitations I had in my head. I am now looking into part (hair) modelling, trying out shoots here and there, casting for small roles, experimenting and seeing what works for me and what doesn’t. I am also looking into new activities and working on interesting collaborative projects with other like-minded people who are passionate about making their dreams / goals a reality.
I’ll admit that stepping out of my comfort zone or rather, the only zone I knew of, is not always easy – trying to do things that I am not used to can be daunting but when I challenge myself and get something done, I feel happy – a massive sense of achievement – no matter how big or small that challenge may have been.
I am determined to continue challenging myself and to do things I have always wanted to do but have kept back from doing due to insecurities or external pressures in the hopes of finding what truly makes me happy. My aim is to reach a point in my life when I stop and say: yes, I’ve done well. That sense of fulfilment, I think, would be my ultimate goal."
Comentarios