Becoming a massage therapist was never in my plans to start with.
Okay, I have been told from childhood that I had the talent of some kind for this occupation but I never even thought of building a career around it like at all.
As a child, we had quite a pressure on us to get the best grades in school at all times. I remember when I got a 4 for the first time (in Hungary 5 is the highest grade you can get). I was going home from school sobbing and I felt so ashamed for "disappointing" my parents that I was afraid to tell them my test results.
I know now, pushing your children so much isn't always the best thing to do but you can't blame them for wanting us to have a better life, can you? They wanted to bring the best out of us. (They never beat us but we had some serious lectures on these occassions - yes, there were more afterwards hehe.)
Well, needless to say how much I've profited from my studies from those times but of course in this educational system, it was necessary to go through all the useless things too.
So, I have planned my life in a different way rather than massaging others - at some point I was looking down on this kind of job, to tell the truth. And on the other hand, I wanted to join my peers so much in going to college or university because I thought earning a diploma is everything. Or maybe not but I was certainly sure about my parents' happiness if I earned one.
Alright then, but what to study exactly?
That time I had literally no idea what I wanted to become. Like, you know, they put the question from childhood: "Barbuska (nickname haha) tell me: what would you like to be when you grow up?"
Archeologist, hairdresser, horse-therapy for children, tourist guide, vet - you name it.
Still, I was standing there at the age of 20 nearly graduated from high school with absolutely no clue of what shall I study more.
Anyway, I chose Social Psychologist BA in one of the colleges and I got accepted in some miraculous way.
Oh, God. It was so much fun. Not the studies but the life of a college student...parties, going to art performances, drinking and meeting plenty of interesting people. I really did enjoy my time but I soon realized that the field I've picked was just not the right one after all. I remember few people judged me on leaving my studies unfinished as I was between the lucky ones who had been accepted on government support program which means I didn't pay tuition fees at all. But I am just like this...if I don't enjoy doing something then sooner or later (mostly sooner) I am out.
A half year I've spent and left.
When moved back home I kinda felt like I have failed all my plans and the expectation of my family. That time I've already got this strong urge to work abroad so I checked my options on working as an au-pair but my mom especially wasn't supporting my idea. Eventually, I found one school in Budapest that had medical massage therapist course starting in a month so I applied just to do something.
The rest is history.
The lessons are the following:
1. Don't do something just to fit into a group of people.
2. Don't do something if you can't do it from your heart with passion and love for that certain thing.
3. Don't build your life on other's expectations. If you did and not happy with your choice, just go.
4. Be bold and don't bother with other people's opinion. Let it be their problem to care about.
5. And first and foremost: don't panic if you don't know what to do at the moment! Just go with what you are interested and it's going to work out somehow in the end.
Have faith in Life always.
Your only way is UP!!!
Love, Barbara
