Sarah Gardner

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

The quote from Thoreau has always been my favorite. Even when I thought it was actually James Dean who said it (we were all 16 once).

By the time I turned 25 years old I had compiled a laundry list of accomplishments most people would be thrilled with. The first volleyball State Championship in my high school's history. A volleyball scholarship to Butler University. Two conference championships. A name which frequented the Dean's List in college. A job with a Fortune 20 company upon graduating. Over $2 million in sales in my first 6 months in the real world.

However, while chasing the American Dream, I hypocritically strayed from the message of my favorite quote. Instead of living my motto, I chased a life of monetary success I was told to pursue instead of the life I had imagined for myself.

I'm 26 now (almost 27) and I'm ready to go confidently in the direction of my dreams and start living the life I've imagined.

I imagine reporting on the sidelines of storied rivalries like Packers vs. Bears. I imagine creating full length packages featuring the trials and triumphs of athletes no one has heard of...yet. I imagine running an entire department of an NFL franchise. The bottom line is I imagine myself in the sports world.

With every job I have taken, I have had the mindset that no responsibility is beneath me. I don’t see a new responsibility as new work but as a new challenge. My success in endeavors I can't even admit to liking has me excited about the outcomes of doing something I love.