This article is part of the “Black Voices” collection, an ongoing collaboration with Dalhousie Black Law Students’ Associations.
Hot take: do something different.
It can be easy to settle into a monotonous routine. Like herded sheep, we stay where there is safety and, of course, where there is food. As students, we flock to the path of least resistance. Something nudges us along: go to school, maybe go to grad school, follow standard recruitment processes, and work for the same organization until we…don’t.
It can all feel so meaningless. So trapping. So boring. So...sigh.
Examining my own path
This year, I’ve been revisiting my own path and motivations for coming to law school. They say that “comparison is the thief of joy,” and unfortunately, they’re right. I was consumed by the inescapable hype of recruits and grades, leading me to feel absolutely useless at different points of the year. A sheep who could not escape the will of the herd.
Then I thought about the people who I look up to and appreciate. They all have one thing in common — they’ve taken many different approaches throughout their lives and have all created lives that I consider successful. They became their own shepherds. Upon these reflections, I have also lived, and continue to live, many lives while in law school.
I have a clear vision of what success looks like to me. Do you have a picture of what success looks like to you?
Finding the best approach for you
Here’s my approach: There is always a risk to be taken. Find the path that you feel most capable of, most passionate about, and most compelled by.
That path will be broad and divergent enough for everyone to have different interpretations of it. This is NOT a diss track. Structure and direction are extremely important in achieving your goals, and there can be merit in staying true to a familiar path so long as you don’t pull the wool over your eyes.
A challenge to try new things
However, I challenge you to do one thing differently this year. Try something new or put yourself out there in a really interesting way — and notice how magnetic you become. You may experience more confidence and more happiness in the long term, despite the intermediary results you get. You may also find more comfort in your relationships, whether it is your friend, partner, or family. Doing things for yourself, and being clear on your vision, will create ease in all areas of your life.
To be clear, what I am saying is this:
There is a risk to be taken, and the benefit that flows from it is one of self-assurance. What I am not saying is that you should choose paths that would give you a panic attack — walk away from the flock at your own pace. It’s all a balance.
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