Cultural expectations become intrinsic values of our systems; we are naturally conditioned to firmly believe in them and continuously determine self-worth and success with these cultural values as the yardsticks. It’s extraordinarily challenging to break free from this complex cycle of societal norms. Only a few among us are strong enough to take up the psychological challenge that comes along. Career Advisor and travel blogger Francesca Chang is the person who went against the tide and made it to stupendous heights without crumbling down under the socio-psychological pressure of being an outlier.
Once an enthusiastic law student, Francesca Chang had quite a twist in her story. She was imbued with an overwhelming desire to help others with her knowledge and chose law as her field. However, in law school, Francesca underwent the worst psychological and physical circumstances. She developed anxiety, lost hair, gained weight, and lost her self-confidence. The doctors even thought that she had kidney stones right before she sat for the Bar exams.
She was in a huge fix – her chosen profession had turned her into an unhealthy, unfulfilled, and under-performing individual. Abandoning the line meant uncertainties, ambiguities, and a lack of direction. She was a lawyer by education, but she refused to settle for a status quo that brought her no joy. According to cultural values, she was throwing her newly-earned law degree “out the window.” But she was determined to find peace and happiness, and so she chose the path less traveled. It was scary and unknown, and she wasn’t sure what to do.
The former lawyer experimented with six different professions and setbacks before hitting the right cord with travel blogging. It was pure joy: she was just living her life, exploring her roots in Taiwan, and she was being paid good money for it. Penning down and capturing life on camera was immensely satisfying to her soul. She was speaking her heart out without reservations and was winning over the hearts of her audience. All those who once laughed at her and thought low of her were now in awe! It was satisfying to find the meaning of life through her efforts.
Tables had turned, and it was now Francesca who was enjoying every second of her existence as “Attorney on a Journey“- the name she gave to her blog. Traveling in Taiwan was a journey to her heart and soul- the rewards went deeper than expectations.
BUT that wasn’t the end. There were even better things in store for Francesca now that she had aligned her external world with her mind and body. Without knowing it, she was inspiring others around her who were grinding it hard in the usual life rut. Her inbox would be inundated with questions about how to do it like her?
People who reached out to her were sad and lacked passion in their chosen professions; their souls were lost in the hustle and grind of the unfulfilling professions. That’s when she realized it was her calling to become a career advisor. Francesca is one of those rare individuals fulfilling the purpose of their existence while breaking free from the one-size-fits-all standards of society. Her ultimate goal is to write a book to help people find meaning in life. Want to be inspired? Visit her here.
