Dogma

Definition of DOGMA

1

a : something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet

b : a code of such tenets <pedagogical dogma>

c : a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate ground. 

Steve Jobs described dogma as "living with the results of other people's thinking," and to be perfectly honest,  I think his quote is right on target.  He probably knew first hand what that felt like.  He dropped out of college after only six months and went on for quite a few years just experimenting with all kinds of odd things.  Do you think most people supported his decision then?

However, what if Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, had never dropped out of college? What if he had stuck to his major and graduated like everybody else usually does?  Do you think he would have been as wildly successful as he was? Probably not.

To take this story even further, what if, a few years after starting Apple, Jobs hadn't resigned as CEO of the business to start another company he thought might do better? Although that business didn't do so well and was eventually bought out by Apple where Steve Jobs returned as CEO, Jobs bought Pixar during this rough patch and created one of the biggest, if not the biggest, animation companies in the world! Do you think his family and friends thought he was crazy then?

Something that I am learning is to not care about other people's opinions of me.  Other's opinions will change constantly and they aren't worth the time and effort of keeping up with.  

I'm not quite sure what I want to do with my life and at times, that can weigh quite heavily on my mind.  Sometimes it feels like everyone around me has a plan and I am lost in my own confusion! That's when I remind myself that this is my life and anything and everything that I decide to do is completely my choice.  I have often been criticized for not going to college after high school but to be perfectly honest, I feel that my path is leading me elsewhere.  I'm not quite sure where yet, but I'm figuring it out as I go.  

One of my favorite quotes is by Eleanor Roosevelt.  It says "Do what you feel in your heart to be right--for you'll be criticized anyway."  My life is not set in stone at twenty years old.  So many things can alter my destination.  One thing I am sure of though is that I am truly excited to get there.