Who is it that dictates trends and what is new, or what is best?

I know that fashion designers can set trends of fashion, and chefs come up with new recipes or food trends, and nutritionists let us know that what we’ve been consuming all our lives is detrimental to our health. And then there’s family and friends and society who set us on our life paths.

Our parents start the ball rolling by instilling things in us like ideals and dreams and career choices (most of the time to match their own agendas). And then you find that you’re good at certain things and get encouragement from those who surround you to make this your life’s goal.

So how do you disseminate these things from something that is within you that’s screaming to get out but is not thought of by those other people to be significant or important or lucrative? Does it mean that your desires are not good enough to pursue? Or are you not good enough if you don’t follow what they want?

It’s difficult to say no to a parent who puts money into that thing you’re good at, and more difficult to state that what you really want to do has nothing to do with that thing. Maybe you think that their love is tied to your talents and nothing else, or maybe you just don’t want to disappoint them.

And it’s very hard to not love the attention you get if you’re lauded for that talent, but is the attention more important than your happiness? You know that those who want to be around you are only doing so because of that talent, and not because they care about you. Would they be there if you decided to pursue what was in your heart?

Following your dreams or pursuing what makes you happy should be priority. Fame, money, things – those come and go and can even bring people a measure of happiness. If what you want in life comes with the price of fame, for instance, go for it!