What is Achievement?

My pet hate is when people say that if you don't go to University, then you've achieved nothing and you're going to be stuck in a dead-end job that you'll forever hate and you'll just hate life in general. This is bollocks. I'm not saying don't go to uni, you may aswell get a job after school/college etc but for those of you who feel pressured to go to uni to impress your parents - don't.

I understand mum & dad's p.o.v: I mean sure, you want your children to achieve, climb the ladder and earn cash like there's no tomorrow...but will they be happy?

 

Around the start of Autumn my mum and I religiously watch The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills. These people are loaded, and they're certainlly not afraid to show it. However, although they're fortunate in the 'never having to work again' principle, they seem poor in other areas: for example, their friendship with "friends" are as fake as Katie Price's knockers. Maybe it's a little cliche to say this, but I value friends a lot more than money; I feel like what is the actual point in having so much dolla if you have no friends to share it with? I know of people who are so unhappy and yet they're the most spoilt people out of the lot, who never have to worry about money and yet still struggle to sleep at night or who suffer from other issues. Then there's the complete opposite end of the spectrum; when you watch documentaries of people living in Third-World areas and yet they still have a genuine smile on their face. This just proves to me that money isn't everything.

Achievement to me is short and simple: to have those around me who love & care for me, people who are there when I need them and to have enough money to live on and have a good time. With really really good friends, you don't need an awful lot of money to have a good time with; a simple walk with Leanne and Zoe, or a little cry with Steph and Abi at some disney movie, even just a drive round with Danielle and Emma makes my day. I just feel like people put so much effort into how much money they have that they almost make themselves ill, and forget what it's really like having little or no money.

Therefore, achievement isn't nessicarily passing college with flying colours, going to University, having so much money that you don't know what to buy first - but something which you enjoy and makes you happy - just whatever you plan on doing, make sure you're doing it for you.