0010: viewer discretion is advised.

I started Technically Speaking to share my experiences and the lessons I learned while navigating adulthood and I knew I didn't want to be the average "influencer" or "content creator". I wanted to create something authentically different. I didn't want to just throw redundant info out there. I want to take time to research, reflect and put out fresh new concepts, and thought-provoking ideas that withstand the test of time. I didn't always know what I wanted though. The thought involuntarily came through a coffee chat (there's that word, again) with an engineer who turned the tables and asked what I wanted for myself. Or maybe it just seemed that way, I spent the earlier years of my twenties thinking about my purpose and what I want to leave in this world. Thinking back, it may have been a compounding of the small decisions, mistakes, and time spent that brought me to this thought.

I've always been the person who was a "jack of all trades and a master at none" in a society that encourages specializing or focusing on a singular thing, in other words, I was confused. I found myself torn between pursuing my interests or pursuing a singular interest. As I got older I felt as if there was an invisible pressure to find my talents, gifts, and career. And somewhere in my early twenties, I found myself "soul-searching" with hopes to find that one thing, or so I thought. That led to questions and those questions came disguised as "advice for XYZ".

I found myself seeking advice in search of answers to life's biggest questions from different people in my career, family, friends, and sometimes strangers. I also noticed being in mostly academic settings, companies and leaders encourage students to be curious and ask questions, and the typical question is to ask for advice. One day after a full day of work, I dedicated some time to compile and reflect on the advice I received during my internship and I realized that it was all over the place. I thought to myself "How could you even apply all of this?" and "Does it matter?".

I thought back to the financial advice that I received from a banker with whom I built a relationship this summer. I thought "Is this how I want to live my life?" and I had an AHA moment. Although the banker gave sound advice, he didn't know who I was. I feel like I don't even know who I am at times. But I know that I value time over money. There is a surplus of money, but that's not the case with time. So, I implemented some of his advice and rid of the others.

And then I thought about the person I want to become and realized, no one has the blueprint to becoming who you are meant to be. I look at an individual's life as a fingerprint, there is no two that are identical. So I said all that to say, use my experiences as inspiration, or direction, or whatever. I am in no way going to be the content creator that's spewing a bunch of DOs and DON'T or tips and tricks for your journey to finding a career or uncovering your purpose in your twenties. I think we have had enough of that.

The best thing I've ever done was to make my own decisions. Because your life has never been lived before, so no one knows what's the "best" decision to make but you. I'm not saying to ignore any advice given to you because there are good people who give good advice and those people may be sent to help you along your journey. It's up to you to use discernment, because you were given the vision of what your life "should" look like.

Take advice with a grain of salt, or as an elder may say "Eat the meat, and spit out the bones". Because everyone has their opinion or perspective and it can be easy to get lost in that.