All these doubts on finding my “X” are inevitable, however, my strategy is to widen the range of my interests, grow curiosity, and move out of my comfort zone to explore the world around me. One way I will do this is by engaging in different clubs and activities. This year, I joined Model United Nations to gain more political and general knowledge of current affairs around the world. It has encouraged me to read more of the news and hone my public speaking skills. I’m also working to broaden networks with friends and others. I can confidently speak to adults about their profession, and passions, during family dinners or otherwise. Some adults pursue careers that don’t involve their passions, but that choice sometimes leads to their regret, and not being happy with their career. Many people have very specific passions, and I plan to speak to different people and explore how they found their passion, and if they pursued it in their careers. This is one reason why I decided to set up PEE Talks this year, to broaden students’ networks and exposure to passions and careers.

Reflecting on these thoughts, I realised society puts so much pressure on us, to be intelligent, beautiful, perfect. Some of us are barely thirteen years old. Only thirteen years ago, I could not talk, walk, and eat by myself. Even Instagram is older than I am! The world was new to me, and it still is, right now. I need to seek exposure to the world, and experiences to enrich my thinking. At my age, one should not be hasty to commit to anything because passions can change quickly as one grows. Instead of fixating on one thing, keeping an open mind is beneficial, because I learn new things along the way. I believe that one day, I will find my own “X” and in doing so, contribute to the idea of who I am.