So, you might not know it, but I absolutely LOVE interior design and decorating. Every chance I get, I am grabbing a new home or garden magazine, scouring through pages for inspiration. Or I am curled up in my bed watching HGTV, drooling over pretty much everything. I enjoy putting together flower arrangements, perfecting a wall full of photographs and pictures, and nailing the picture-perfect bedroom design. As a young girl, I always wanted to rearrange my bedroom, and would constantly beg my parents to help me move all of my furniture (much to their dismay). I would get bored with the same arrangement, color, or decorations for too long of a time period. So when I went to college, it never occurred to me that there was actually a major for this: Interior Design. And it never occurred that I could do this for a living, and make a career out of it. (Who knew?!) Anyways, as I began to explore majors, I ended up deciding not to go into Interior Design. While you might be saying that’s stupid, it’s your passion, and why not? Here’s why I didn’t…

My whole life I've wanted to be a teacher. I was hands down going into education, following my mom’s footsteps. It was clear and simple. Become a teacher and a coach, and maybe eventually move up and become an administrator of some sort. As I got further into the education program, I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore. I had grown and found other passions that excited and motivated me more than education at that point. I decided that I needed to figure out where to go next, and started exploring more in-depth what I wanted to do. This required a lot of self-reflecting, and soul-searching; something I had never truly done before. It was a very liberating experience, being able to dig deep down and find what I was truly passionate about. I narrowed it down to two things I was passionate about: interior design and interacting and communicating with others. I chose to explore communications and what it had to offer. I declared Public Relations as my major with a minor in marketing. I have since added a journalism minor, and have loved every second of it.

Now this was a huge switch, and something completely different than what I was doing before, but it was a decision I’ll never regret. I love the field that I am going into, and am extremely passionate about it. It’s fast-paced, exciting, and allows me to be creative. As for my love for interior design, I knew I could incorporate it into my everyday life. I know many people will say I probably should’ve gone into interior design, but it was a passion I could fulfill as a hobby instead of a career. I will never lose that passion and love for interior design and decorating, but it will be something that I fill my spare time with.

Being passionate about something or someone gives our lives meaning. It gives us a reason to be excited and joyful. It gives us an outlet to be creative. I’m not saying you shouldn’t major in what you’re passionate about, because chances are, you are passionate about a lot of different things. What I’m saying is you can incorporate your passions somewhere into your life, and you should. That means you don’t have to necessarily major in them. We should all be passionate about something, and we should use that passion to our advantage. Give your life meaning. Be inspired. Don’t let anybody tell you what to do with your life. Life is a journey; your journey, and you should enjoy it. So do what you love, and don’t deny yourself of the things you love. This will find you on the path to happiness, and a life full of joy.

"You were made for the place where your real passion meets compassion, because there lies your real purpose." -Ann Voskamp