“Sayang ang talino mo” (your intelligence will just be wasted)
I will always hear those words whenever someone who is academically intelligent pursue a path others think is not suited or matched with his/her intellect. I, myself, have heard the exact words before from my family and I don’t blame them in any way. I know they just want the best for me, that’s why.
Modesty aside, I’ve been quite an achiever from elementary to high school and as a result, high expectations as I continue my life entering college!!! I can handle expectations but the stereotypes, I can't and I won’t.
My mom wants me to be a lawyer and my dad thinks that being a CPA Lawyer is better so they convinced me to take Accountancy as my pre-Law course. Being undecided on what I wanted to become in my life, I took Accountancy, graduated and passed the licensure exams as CPA. After everything, this is still not the life I wanted to live. There is something missing and I am certain it can’t be filled by taking a post-graduate degree. As time passes by, my inclinations to creative stuff like culinary arts, fashion styling or interior designing starts to bloom.
Then I would hear those words again. My mind keeps on questioning, Why?
Why there is a certain typecasts when it comes to valedictorians and students with academic distinction? That if you are the valedictorian, then you must be a lawyer, CPA, engineer or doctor or any hardcore courses that will validate your intelligence? Why do you even have to maximize your brain if your heart is not on it? Will their intelligence be useless if they pursue something they have passion on or something that uses the heart more than the mind? And if I pursue being a lawyer and use my intelligence saving it from perceived futility, can they realize what will be squandered?
I remember a great homily. The priest asked, “Can you imagine if Michael Jackson did not pursue his passion in music or if Michael Jordan did not take his career on basketball? Do you think they can still be successful if they pursue other fields they are not passionate about?” That resolves all the confusion and I’ve come to a resolution that success is more likely to be achieved by people in pursuit of what they heart desires for because it only takes someone so passionate about his/her craft to never give up amidst failures. With this attitude, no wonder success will come handy.
Oh yes it is a great feeling to have a title added to the end of your name, much more before your name but the bottom line is: in life, we want to be happy and happiness cannot be measured in how much intelligence you have exuded in your academic life or how you show the maximum capacity of your brain by being a topnotcher in the bar/board exams, it is finding that “intersection” between your heart and your mind. Anyway, if you heart so desires, your mind will follow and conjoin to set the balance that can bring you to excel in everything you do.
Nothing is ever wasted for intelligence can be used in any aspect of your life. Intelligence won’t escaped your brain. Intelligence is like an eternal gift that once endowed, it will always be yours to utilize. As long as you can make a living out of your passion, then what’s the big deal? Being intelligent is not limited to academics. Creativity is intelligence as well. Actually, I prefer to be intelligent in life.
Now, I already found that intersection. I did not pursue LAW but I started two small businesses, the small food business (where I can pour my passion for cooking) and the vintage online shop (where I can show my love for fashion). Moreover, I am thinking of starting with a training on patternmaking and basic sewing first and when my budget permits, I will take fashion styling as well.
(Disclaimer: I don’t have a thing with professionals. I am a professional myself and my sister have found her intersection in being a physician. This is just for those who are always told that their intelligence will be wasted if they pursue a course that are perceived to be easier and thus, not fit for a genius. C’mon!! No course discrimination guys!!! If your heart is on it, go for it!!!)
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