Editorial: We each have our own path to success, but we are all on the same road

The path to success isn’t often defined by how smart you are or how talented you are. More-so, it’s about how you apply those talents in a setting that benefits your advancement.

Today’s pathways in the working world often see more people going into business for themselves. Entrepreneurship has skyrocketed, especially during the pandemic. But the foundation or drive for that talent has to come within.

Take example a recent article in the Chronicle about New Kent High School graduate Matthew Fultz, who now works as a broadcaster. As I interviewed him, I saw the passion in him light up when he spoke about what motivated him to seek a profession in front of the camera. It was a driving force for him.

Today, the next generation has several talents and skills that can be honed with the right motivation. Rather than try to force them into something they may not be interested in, support their passion that they have desired. For some, like Matt, it may not happen until their senior year in high school. For others, like my sister who has a love for animals and became a veterinary technician, it happens at an early age.

Skilled laborers are continuing to be one of the many professions that will not go out of style because of the need for them. Masons, construction workers, and plumbers are always in demand because they bring a unique trait that other people can’t handle. It takes special people to work in extreme heat and cold, and those skilled workers are just a few of them.

If you have a desire to go into the arts, follow with it. Music, acting, or drawing, those crafts have a place in our world. Sometimes starting as a lone enterprise will open doors and allow the talent to flourish without being pressured to perform.

I say all of this because there is no shame seeking a profession that people can’t relate to. That’s what makes a person unique. The journey can include being your own boss, or it could be working for a field that you are. Understand that from the farmers who grow food to truck drivers who transport items to the store workers who stock shelves to the individuals that design the software in cash registers to ring up our groceries, we all have a drive and passion. Sometimes it just takes a while to get there. But when we do, then the flow of unity will bound us tighter and make society a more equal opportunity place for all.