As children, we both tried to color between the lines. That’s what was expected and we always wanted to do what was right. When we were in college, working for ourselves was the last thing on our minds. It never even occurred to us that having our own business was something we should consider. But somewhere along the way, we wondered who actually wrote all of these rules? Who passed the law about coloring within the lines? And who decided that we should follow a traditional career path?

We stopped playing by the rules – or at least what we thought were the rules – when we finally realized that our life belongs to us and us alone. When other people advised us to follow a traditional career path rather than start our own business, we listened but moved on, trusting our instincts and taking a series of calculated risks. Advice is generally well intentioned but not always useful. One piece of advice we were given was that we were too young to get married. Thirty-five years later, we’re still happy with our life together and more than a few of our early advisors have been separated or divorced more than once. So much for living life the way other people think it should be lived.

We just got an e-mail from one of our readers, a young woman who graduated from college in December. Although she was always a successful, goal-oriented student—she graduated magna cum laude—right now she’s working as a server at a country club. She wrote, “Even though I’m not where I thought I would be at this point in my life, I am so much happier. I’m not stuck to a plan I don’t love just because it’s better than not having one at all.” She’s planning to go to graduate school in the future but she says, “I’m learning to accept the fact that it’s okay to change my mind if I feel things aren’t working out.”

We were amazed by this young woman’s wisdom and courage. When we look around us, we see countless people who would rather stay stuck forever than accept that something just isn’t working for them. And it seems especially hard for young people in today’s competitive world to follow their own hearts. So many students and recent graduates live lives based on other people’s expectations. But if you live what you love, you’ve learned this one thing: there’s no manual or book of rules telling you what you should be doing.

4 Reminders for Recent Graduates

1) Each of us craves different experiences and those desires change and evolve continually. It’s essential to remain flexible and be open to new ideas.

2) Remember to re-evaluate how things are working on a regular basis. Just because you’re doing what you always thought you wanted to do, or what someone else told you to do, doesn’t mean it’s actually right for you.

3) When you embrace a Live What You Love attitude, you know that you can make decisions that are based on your own needs and experiences—not on other people’s expectations.

4) Remember to trust your instincts! They will rarely steer you wrong. ]]> http://livewhatyoulove.com/2008/05/19/just-graduated-how-not-to-get-stuck/feed/ 1