It is never too late to follow your dreams, but keep in mind this...
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This part of the blog talks about my subjective views on different things I have learned or experienced recently—epiphanies if you may. This is a part of “Dear Diary” which is a subsection of mentally weekly. In this section, I plan on giving you a glimpse of the life of a “wannabe therapist”. Let’s talk about dreams, wishes, and aspirations in a practical sense. Also, some context about my choice to pursue this field. In the process, you might learn something from it.

Psychology and psychologists seem very alien to common people, I want people to know and talk about them. This in my opinion is a way to break the stigma related to this field.

Shadow Work

I did a lot of shadow work in the month of June and am still planning on continuing in the month of July. Shadow work is a way to analyse and understand yourself by diving deep into your own thoughts. It is a way you practice active healing and identify your trouble areas.

I still have a few of them even after years of shadow work. It is a never-ending journey. To be honest, I have fallen in love with sitting with myself and my diary and asking questions only I know the answers to. It was challenging as hell in the beginning, but I am used to it now.

You’re never too old to follow your dreams provided you have a plan

I did my graduation to become an engineer. After college I worked for about two-and-a-half years in a corporate job. I resigned in December 2021 and started my Master’s in Psychology in the same month. Why I chose this field and why I took such a huge step is a topic for another day. What I have been pondering is the privilege I had to go after what I actually love.

How did it feel back then?

It was not at all easy; it took me around 6-7 months to take such a huge leap of faith. Once you start working a job, it is so goddamn tough to leave the security and go back to studying.

Also, the mental battle of being 24 years old at that time and doing something so different was again something I had to work on.

What about now?

It is an entirely different realm altogether. You are not just learning to be a mental health professional; you have to go through so many journeys inside of you. You need to be empathetic, non-judgemental, kind, and so many more things. Because let’s face it, you cannot pretend to be those things, you have to become them. Only then will you be able to help another person who comes to you.

Having said that, we, as psychologists, also need to take care of our mental health for very clear reasons. Becoming a mental health professional entails far more than just reading books and learning therapies. It is about accepting and loving yourself first in order to love your job. That is one of the many reasons I love this field. It inspires you to grow as a person first.

So, now that I have given you the context, how does it feel to enter the field of humanities from science? I love it! All of it! I have no regrets whatsoever that I chose to go with psychology. It is the best decision I ever made.

Value of a job

I am fortunate to be able to pursue my passion, but I will never underestimate the value of working in a corporate setting. The experience that I had and the people I met were all amazing. It used to be a nine-hour shift every day from July 2019 to December 2021. And it is a part of who I am and it will always be! I will be forever grateful to have had the opportunity to live in the city of dreams, Mumbai, and to have started working right after college.

You can also check our post on 12 Effective Books On Mental Health

Let’s come to the point, shall we?

This past month, I was thinking about what if everybody did what they love doing? Without even quitting your actual job, you can work on something you love as a side hustle. You can see if it is worth taking the leap. Otherwise, if you can do both simultaneously, why not? It might seem hard at first, but a lot of people do it!

The choices you make and the decisions you take based on them have a lot of impact on your life. So, if you want to follow your calling, don’t just blindly leave everything to fate. The risk that I took was not outright delusional. I actually sat with my family and went for career counselling to see whether I would be able to make a living out of it or not. And that is why I am so confident in my abilities and have so much faith in myself. You should do the same if you want to go after something.

Conclusion

Although the information I shared was personal and my experiences and thought process could be different from yours, I hope you take something out of this post.

The choices you make, especially career decisions, have a huge impact on your life. Take calculated risks if you plan on following your dreams.

You’re never too old to follow your dreams, as long as you plan for the future wisely.

Never take any job you have for granted. It might not be fun, but it makes you independent.

If you want to work on your dream project or side hustle, you can definitely do that. There is always a way out!