You're Not Stuck That Way
Glancing around, it only took a second to realize who my mother was referring to. Coming towards us was a man, probably in his late 20s, who was built like he’d walked out of a Calvin Klein underwear ad. After a few more paces he grabbed an inner-tube for him and his friend, and they stepped into the line for the water slide we’d just left.
This male extended-family member (who I’ll leave unnamed not to disparage them), although certainly meaning nothing by it, had just said something incredibly depressing. I was only 11 years old, and when I heard him say that, this is what went through my head:
And I would continue believing that we each have a “fixed” body like this for about seven years. I eventually realized that belief couldn’t be further from the truth, but many people never have this realization.
I certainly hope that he didn’t say this to his friend’s face, because if he did, then he’s unnecessarily destroyed his friend’s confidence in the same way that my family member affected me 10 years ago. It’s laughable how false this belief is; there’s no single path to success and I’m confident that even someone in their late 20s with an art history degree could find a way into IB if they were dedicated. Mergers and Inquisitions even has an article on how to do this.
