My Family's Approval

I think I try too hard to get my family to like me, or at least approve of me.  I have no problems with friends or other people.  You don't like me?  Oh well, it's all good, I will find someone who does.

But with my family, it is different.  I am the oldest of two daughters.  My sister is obviously the favourite.  She's successful in sports, something that I've never been good at.  She's smart (academically) but I was too.  I'm actually a lot smarter than her for the most part.  (Not to brag but I'm a 90 student and she's an 80 student.)   But I also worked hard and it paid off.

I've also always had more mature friends.  In high school, I hung out with the smarter kids.  It was nice because we could talk on the same level and stuff.  And we understood that getting an 80 on an assignment was disappointing!  But we did other things too.  We had campfires, pool parties, slumber parties, move nights, etc.  We would talk about boys and play goofy games.  Now, my friends are mature in a different way.  Common interests and same feelings on life.  I'm only 20 years old but most of my friends are at least a couple years older.  My sister, on the other hand, hangs around with a group of immature and weird girls.  They don't date, I don't think any of them have kissed a guy.  And they just do immature things and insult everyone.  It is just immature and annoying!  Yet my parents hate the idea of my friends (they haven't even met them) and love my sister's friends!

My parents seem to hate my way of life.  They insult me and my life at any chance they get.  I think that being loving and trusting is the way to be.  I trust everyone, I love people, and I try to be the best person I can be.  I want others to be happy, not just myself.  They just make fun of me for that and I'm not sure why.  I guess they like my sister's mean and negative attitude.

I am always trying to 'earn their approval'.  I try and impress them by making dinner.  I show them cute pictures of my hamster.  I tell them about my successes.  But it doesn't really phase them.  It still seems like I'm not good enough.

I try my best at everything, I always want to be the best, I'm scared of not being the best!  I think it kind of boils down to trying so hard to get my family's approval.

Is Education Necessary For Success?

Is it?  That's a question many people wonder.

I know so many people who go from high school to college or university just because they feel that's the "right thing to do".  Just because "that's how you get a job".  They go through college or university, not necessarily in something they enjoy, and then have no clue what they want to do when they graduate.  I have just seen that happen to a lot of people and I'm not sure if that's the right way to go about it.

There are some jobs where you don't need an education.  Some jobs that you may be good at.  But a lot of jobs still require education.

I think the right way to look at it, when you're in high school, is to see what job you want to do.  Then figure out the education path from there.  Do you want to be a doctor?  Well then, determine the education you need from there.  Doctors can't start work as a doctor without education.  Do you want to be an accountant?  Figure out what you need to learn and then go from there.  Do you really need six years of education or is two or three all you really need?  Do you need the theory behind it or is the practical part that you really need?

Sometimes people will go to school for years and years then find out they only needed school for a couple years.  Frustrating?  I'm sure it is.

Don't just go to school for the sake of going to school.  Figure out what you want to do first.  If you don't know right away, try doing some work and then perhaps taking some part time courses to find out what exactly you're interested in.  Diving into something when it isn't what you want?  I wouldn't recommend it.  Researching, getting experience, then doing some schooling?  Definitely what I'd recommend.

I definitely feel like I have wasted some of my life doing school that I just don't need.  I am a bit tempted to just do some more schooling but I don't think that's the right idea.  I'm not sure what I want to do.  Going to school for something that I am unsure of is not what I should spend my time doing.

Instead of being pressured by parents and teachers or just thinking you have to do one thing specifically, step back and take a look at everything.  What do you really need?