What I Wish I Knew Careers

What I Wish I Knew Careers This is part of the What I Wish I Knew series on Your Super Awesome Life. Thanks to Ashley for asking me to share/join! While New Kids on the Block and Jonathan Brandis posters hung on my walls as teenager (to be replaced by generic hot guys featured in Jane), I was a total Gleek. My room would often fill with the music of Stephen Sondheim (my Mom was once shocked that the majority of her friends didnt know who he was. Shocked!), the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Miss Saigon (yes, my mother had to overnight me a new copy of the double cassette to summer camp because I worn mine out playing it over and over and over (and over!) again), the belt of Patti LuPone (shes more than Corkys Mom from Life Goes On, ya know). I went from dance class to singing lesson to  to acting class to rehearsal to audition, until I enrolled in a Fame!-like school for half the day my junior and senior years of high school, getting to drop science and gym (oh, the sweetness!). I applied to 8 universities and cancelled my auditions to 6 of them when I got into NYUs Tisch School of the Arts  in December of my senior year. This is it! This is my ticket to Broadway!, I remember thinking/feeling. I was on a one-way train and I couldnt have been happier. 16 (!!!!) years later , heres 10 Things I Wish I Knew  (in no particular order) (Click on the art to be taken to the Etsy listing!): Letting go of a long-term goal doesn’t make you a failure. Your family loves you unconditionally, and will be supportive of whatever direction you decide to steer your life in (even if they dont really understand it, or know that you picked the hard thing to pursue). Your priorities and passions can change, and thats okay. As long as youre honest with yourself and authentic in the choices you make, everything will go exactly as its supposed to. Go towards the feeling of fear + excitement. Thats where the gold is. Someone else writing your paycheck does not equal stability. In that vein, it is feasible to be a grown-up entrepreneur. Baby steps take you very, very far. Dont underestimate them. Sometimes youll work so, so hard and do such a good job, and it still wont get you the results you want. There are things that arent fair, but theyll always lead to strength and Lessons Learned. Do your best to see the silver lining through the storm clouds. Dont let go of the idea that work doesnt have to mean not play. Keep pursing work that lights you up, that makes you happy, that keeps you fulfilled. Dont settle for less. Its not a matter of Can I do this?, but a matter of How can I do this? What would you add? What did you wish you knew? Oh, I cant wait to hear all this advice we have to give to our teenage selves! Now if only someone can invent a time machine  Theres still time to enter to win 1 of 4 (!!!) copies of The Fire Starter Sessionsoh yeah!