Growing up, kids are told they can be anything they want to be. No dream is unobtainable. No goal is too lofty. Everyone will be president someday. Barriers like institutional racism and glass ceilings are non-factors.

Then they grow up and have to cope with the harsh realization that dreams don’t always come true.  What people want to do and what they are obligated to do rarely coincide.

Consider the choices students make when transitioning from high school to the rest of their lives. Often it becomes a question of is it more cost effective to enter the work force right away or is it wiser to make the investment in a college education? Then again military service is a more attractive option for some.

Focus on those who decide to pursue an academic career for a moment. They have to make another choice even after making the commitment to higher learning. They must determine which field of study will govern the next several decades of their lives.

How does one approach such a decision?

Do most people carefully weigh their options and consider the myriad of possibilities? Do they take stock of the job market and current political climate?

No, it’s more likely they will play the pacifist and enroll in general education courses for a semester or two and commit later on. Maybe solicit advice from friends who have settled on a major. After all, the average college student changes their major several times before graduation.

The thread that weaves all of these examples together creating the tapestry that is the American dream is one undeniable factor, choice. Americans have the incomparable freedom to be the architects, or in some cases, the arsonists, of their futures.

There are some who have their power of choice revoked. Take the families left high and dry by automotive companies that are outsourcing jobs or people that lose everything because of a natural disaster.

However there are people who have a wealth of opportunites available to them and settle for a life of complacency.

Take my friend; let’s call him Steve. He graduated high school with honors, was always better at sports then me and was a great musician. Now he works in a gas station and sells marijuana because he was afraid to try.

For the people who choose to take the easy way out or simply give up, I ask you; how do you want to be remembered?

Consider for a moment the childhood dreams we left behind whether by choice or resignation. To the timid and the indecisive, shake off feelings of doubt and apprehension and chase a dream.

Yes, this is a biased opinion because I found something I love. That was after much trial and error and working with people who flat out gave up on what they wanted.

When I hear someone complain about their major or career path, I think about all of the people around the world who have never had that problem. Poverty and famine have a funny way of simplifying things.

Even though college students are considered adults, the fact remains that we are still in the course of growing up, and that process should be an adventure, not a compromise. Earn a living; don’t simply collect a pay check.