“I have found, through painful experience, that the most important step a person can take is always the next one.”
Excerpt from Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
“When I grow up, I want to be an ‘austronaut’.”
My childhood dream was to go to space. I made sketches of the solar system and always had that fascination of the idea of visiting other planets beyond the earth.
But as I grew up, I became grounded by gravity of reality. I probably wasn’t going to be an astronaut anytime soon, as I have a lot to improve on in terms of my physics, mathematics, and the like.
Then when I was asked what I wanted to be, I was always clueless and the only thing I could think of was “I want to be happy.” But what does that mean?
I have read somewhere that happiness is not a destination, but it is the journey. I used to think that I would magically reach the ‘finish line’ of my goal and achieve happiness but as I went through life, I realized the saying holds true.
It led me to ask myself, “what is my ultimate why?” I discovered that my ‘why’ is heavily intertwined with my identity as a Secular Humanist. In a nutshell, I would define secular humanism as a world view that places value in the only life we have and highlights our role in making our world a place where all beings can thrive and flourish.
From the early ideations of visiting other planets, I soon fell in love with my birth planet as I discovered its wonders. From deep sea to deep sky, from blue sea to blue sky, there is wonder in nature, in people, and in the universe of which we are a part of.
And so, I was faced with the gravity of reality, yet again. How do I make these whys and wonders into ‘tangible action’? I could not possibly be confined as a dreamer my whole life but also had to be a ‘doer’.
The questions of ‘what I wanted to be’, ‘what I wanted to do’ still floated in my mind.
I wanted to see what it was like above the clouds, so I hiked mountains. I wanted to explore what was beneath the surface, so I dove under the sea. I wanted to see what was beyond our earth, so I camped to see the stars. I wanted to understand different perspectives, so I listened to the stories of other people, learned a new language, and read books. I wanted to live, to be.
I honestly felt like I was all over the place by expanding my horizons too much instead of focusing on one expertise. What I wanted to do? Everything I could get my hands and attention span on. Simply put, I was what they called a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” And you know what? I think that’s okay.
As a lifelong student and somewhat of a teacher, I continue learning a variety of skills and continue to build upon my knowledge and most especially I wish to share this infectious love and stewardship for our earth and universe with others.
We go through our own real and figurative mountain tops, deep oceans, dark skies, bright mornings, stormy days, and so on. A moment of clarity offered me a new perspective: all our steps and leaps are not confined to one path, but it is made up of many different paths we take as we journey through life.