Two years into my first job many years back, people started resigning from where I worked and started making plans to migrate to Singapore, US and Australia. It was a time when there was an influx of jobs for IT professionals like me in those countries.
My friends from work kept telling me: let's go and leave this rut. Singapore, US or Australia is a much better place - better salaries, greener pasture and definitely much better government than here in the Philippines.
I felt "pressured" to apply to Singapore as I didn't want to feel left behind.
But before even submitting my CV to those recruitment agencies, I paused and thought really hard. I asked myself:
"Who am I doing this for? Is it for myself? For my friends?"
"Am I miserable here? Or is this just peer pressure?"
And the most important question: "Am I happy here?"
Because the truth is, by all accounts, I was happy where I was at that time. I loved to stay in the Philippines (no matter how crappy the traffic is at times) because I always enjoy seeing my parents and my brother every now and then and also hanging out with my numerous friends from college who I meet on a regular basis.
So I didn't push through with any of my applications going abroad and just stayed and found other local opportunities where I can make use of my talents and skills. I was (and still am) happy.
What I realized is that nobody can tell you what's best for you. In the same way, I can't tell anyone what's best for them.
Each person's circumstances and priorities are different. What's good for me may not be good for them and what's a priority for them may not necessarily be a priority for me.
So where I'm going at with this is that, whatever people tell you, hear them and think about their suggestions. But don't ever feel pressured to do something because of other people's expectations of you. Don't do it for them. Do it for you. Because only YOU know what's best for YOU.
May you find your inspiration,
Chris