Make sure the dream is yours. Living out somebody else’s plan is a long walk in the wrong shoes.

Borrowed ambitions are hard to spot because they feel like your own, especially when they came from people who wanted good things for you. The tell is usually in how it feels while you are doing it, rather than in how it sounds when you describe it. A plan that only feels good in the telling is worth a second look.

Ask who would be disappointed if you changed direction. If a name arrives before your own, sit with that for a while. You can respect where a plan came from and still choose a different one.