Follow Your Passions or Listen to Your Parents?

Every parent has lists of things they expect their children to do, be or achieve in life. Some of these expectations come into existence from the day they are born. It gets longer and more specific as their children grow older. 

The good thing is that these expectations come from a good place. It comes from the desire to see their child succeed. 

But children - especially millennials complain that their parents are selfish when it comes to expectations. This is because, most of the time, parents think more of their wishes while guiding their kids through life.

This is very common in African families where the choices of the children reflect and impact the values of the parents (and the family).

The goals children want to achieve are usually different from those of their parents. Millennial kids experienced this a lot because of a lot of available technology and information than at the time of their parents. 

This gave them new passions in life. Most of which their parents do not agree with. This can be hard to manage especially as an adult because some careers children are passionate about takes more time to start paying off. Or don't seem profitable at the sound of it. And at this point, these children are seen as irresponsible or simply useless to themselves and their parents.

This hurts.

In as much as children want to find their own path in life, they also want their parents to be proud of them.

Everyone has got his own journey in life. Your parents had theirs which included having you as their child. But that should not tie you down to live only for their expectations. 

Find and trace your path in life. Your own journey is an inspiration to those who have the same passions as you.

Live your life to be happy and feel fulfilled. Pleasing others doesn't give you any fulfilment.