Another impactful book that I have read that centers on mental health and trying to better yourself is I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki. The premise of this book is actually pretty interesting: the author is Baek Sehee, a South Korean woman who is diagnosed with dysthymia (also known as “persistent depressive disorder”, which is “a state of constant light depression”). The book combines a series of recordings from her sessions with her psychiatrist with some of the lessons that she has learned about herself along the way (the title apparently comes from the fact that when she feels an emptiness inside, she wants to eat a popular Korean street food tteokbokki). I took a number of good lessons from this book (other than just learning what dysthymia and tteokbokki are).

The lesson to be discussed in this article is about changing your path. The quote in the book that got me thinking was this: “You go to university on the merit of your high school grades but depending on what you become interested in after that, the depth and breadth of your thoughts vary tremendously. Your high school grades do not determine the rest of your life” (psychiatrist, page 46). You may read this and think “Duh. You’re only 17 or 18 when you graduate high school. Of course you have the right to change the path of your life after that”. And to be fair you are right! This, however, struck a major chord with me.

I was the valedictorian of my high school class (not meant to be a brag, just meant to start painting the picture). I played three sports in high school and was always invested in athletics and strength training. I originally wanted to be a math teacher and a baseball coach. My dad told me I should look into kinesiology. I did neither. Instead I chose chemical engineering – I had good grades, a good work ethic, and I loved science and math; I figured engineering was the “right” choice. But after one semester I realized that I HATED my choice. I decided to listen to my dad, transferred home to SUNY Fredonia, joined the baseball team, and (most importantly) switched majors to exercise science. After I graduated I went to Salisbury University to pursue my Master’s Degree in Applied Health Physiology with a concentration in strength and conditioning. Fast forward a decade and I have experience at quality DIII and DI programs, in the private setting, and in the professional setting (ultimately making it to the highest level of professional baseball as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for a Major League team).

So What?

You may be wondering where I’m going with this (other than using the article to brag about myself and my accomplishments). There are three important points that I want to make based on my story:

1. As the quote says, “your high school grades do not determine the rest of your life”. In other words: who you were when you were younger does not have to be who you are now. Imagine if your life was set for you at age 18…
2. Along those lines, the quote also says, “…but depending on what you become interested in after that, the depth and breadth of your thoughts vary tremendously”. You are ALWAYS free to change your mind and/or your path in life. I discovered rock climbing at 31, and I absolutely love it! There are people who go to college in their 50’s or pick up playing pickleball in their 80’s. Life is simply a series of opportunities to continue learning, growing, and experiencing. You never know what will catch your attention and change your life. Be curious, be open, and understand that you are free to change who you are whenever you want.
3. Where you go to/went to college does not necessarily matter in the long-run. Yes, it’s true that there are definitely advantages that come with going to certain universities (I originally wanted to go to Yale and ended up getting degrees from two universities that you have probably never even heard of). It may be advantageous to have a degree from a “prestigious” university for getting your foot in the door, making relevant connections, and/or having a better chance at getting a job in your chosen field (I am not trying to downplay that too much), but once you do get a foot in the door it will ultimately boil down to your experience. I have had the opportunity to help with hiring over the years and I ALWAYS look at experience first over what universities the person attended. Work hard, pursue your curiosities, be true to yourself, and the rest will fall into place (regardless of where you went to school).
4. (A short bonus lesson here is that SOMETIMES YOUR PARENTS ARE RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM!)

I am hoping that you realize that no matter how “deep” you are in something, you can always change your path. Change can be scary, but whether it’s your job, your relationships, or your own self, you should never be “too old” or “too stuck in your ways” to be able to switch course.  I hope you enjoyed this article and were able to take something from it. If you did, keep an eye out for more articles about the book, or just read it yourself – it’s a relatively easy read and may provide you with some lessons that I have overlooked!