De qu color quers que sea tu vida

Translator: Gisela Giardino
Reviewer: Sebastian Betti

At some point in our lives,

those who have more years
than me use to say,

we are at the crossroads
of having to make difficult decisions.

I’m right at that point.

At that turning point for my adult life.

I have to decide what to do with my time,

what career to pursue, what to work on,

a future and my own desires.

My whole world is at stake,
along with my freedom.

Yes, freedom.

Choosing which career to pursue
according to what I like

it’s a privilege.

And it’s not something we can all do.

Freedom of choice is relative.

Very relative, as in the case
of my parents.

My dad, for example, began
the natural sciences teachers collage

and had to quit due to work
and to take care of his family.

While my mom couldn’t even try.

Because for many people there are few,
or sometimes no options

to settle for.

As I have the privilege

of being the first in my family
to be able to go to college,

is that I’m on the arduous mission
of exploring the world of vocation

and enjoy it.

But of course you have to take
many other things in mind.

For example, I live in the suburbs.

That means that most universities

are not very close to my house.

So the gift of study

takes on greater importance
when choosing.

The economic aspects as well:

if I’m going to be able to afford
the commute, the materials,

and everything that comes with it.

And uncertainty of getting a job.

To wonder if I will be able
to land a job that I enjoy.

But despite everything
I looked into all careers.

All universities.

I attended a ton of college fairs.

I saw all the videos that existed.

And the more I researched,

the more I realized what I liked.

Although I had to leave
aside some options,

I also held on to others.

I started combining all possibilities.

And I realized that in this arduous task
I’m kind of a painter.

Now, what does a painter do?

They paint with a palette existing colors.

And they mix them to achieve
what they are looking for.

They add lights, shadows,
and creates new nuances.

Transforming what they have
to get what they want and need.

So I decided to use this principle
as a life philosophy.

Let’s think of life as a color palette.

We are born with primary colors

and we have to find out that there are
more colors to paint with.

We uncover our eyes and one day
we find out that we don’t just have this,

but we have a chance
to build our own palette

based on what we were given.

We all have the chance to mix and create

our own colors and tones
based on what we were given,

transforming what’s established

without ignoring that a lot
of things condition us.

But without losing hope of, somehow,

being able to dare mixing
one color with another

to transform and create
our own destiny.

It took me a while to understand

that this is not something you learn
by searching the Internet.

We learn it from the people
we surround ourselves with.

All the things I heard, I read,

helped me understand this diversity.

I surrounded myself with people
so diverse as a rainbow.

And I learned little things with each one.

Some taught me that there is
no one way of learning.

They taught me to think for myself.

Others, the cultural diversity that exists

bodies and life experiences.

And that’s okay if in a couple of years
I change the colors I paint with.

All the people I surround myself with
are my color palette.

And the colors are going to keep
changing, constantly.

Thank you.