Previously I wrote about why I made the choice to walk away from the corporate World, but where am I now? I am currently in a role working closely with Social Media for my friend’s Startup Company, Impulse, but more on them in the next piece.

Yes, working with Social Media is a stark contrast to what I used to do. One of the main reasons I chose to take this role on is due to the influence of inspirational speakers who I have come across over the last few years. I’d like to think they changed my perspective on life for the better; you’ll see what I mean below. The thing about my current position is that I am not so much in a job, I am more so trying to find my own pathway while I am still relatively young. It is a great experience and a relief from where I was – there are few, if any, Investment Banks on these platforms, probably out of fear of the backlash they’d get from the media if something were to go wrong.

Looking back on it, the emergence of Social Media has been drastic and created a seismic shift in how society is perceived today. When everyone is looking at their phones, I frequently sit there thinking, “I wonder what people were doing before the emergence of smartphones and Facebook/Twitter/Snapchat/Intsagram/Pinterest/(insert your preferred Social Network here)?” Not to say I am against this, I too do just the same — it’s just an observation I have.

Social Media helped me discover there is more to life than a normal 9–6 at a corporate firm. There are so many businesses built on these networks, you have the entire world’s opportunities literally in the palm of your hand or in your pocket. When researching this I found that quite a few of my friends were utilising Social Media in the same way, which to me was startling. I simply thought this was only done by those who were extraordinarily talented or who were blessed with the looks that some would kill for. Through these networks, I began to see how people who are brown have evolved through these mediums — Superwoman, JusReign and Akaamazing are fine examples, but also Singh Street Style, famous Bhangra teams such as Empire (1m views per video on YouTube classes as fame for me) and actors like Waris Ahluwalia, writers like Rupi Kaur, all of whom have shown me that Sikhs specifically are utilising the benefits that come with these new opportunities. You simply need to find what you love and enjoy and eventually, if you work hard enough, you’ll get there.

I began to find motivational people on Social Media, some who have documented and shown their struggle through the tough times and evolved/persevered into their own success stories today. People such as Gary Vaynerchuk (my personal favourite), Tony Robbins, Tai Lopez, Eric Thomas, Jay Shetty, even body builders and gym personalities such as CT Fletcher — they all show there is a greater purpose for why they are put on this Earth. I figured I wanted to find mine, so after returning from my travels I made a decision to take the risk of trying to do something out of the ordinary. I did it in the past, so why not carry on and do it again?

One of the reasons Social Media has become so enticing is because of the opportunities it can offer people. Sure some use it for escapism, through LAD Bible or funny cat videos, but others can use it to find a different world which they want to try and be a part of, or to meet like minded people. You like basketball? Go ahead and join a group of those who like it on Facebook. You want to learn how to cook a different meal? There’s tons of recipes and videos people have put up on Instagram for others to try out. Feeling a bit demotivated on Monday? Go on Twitter and there’s about 25k posts from people trying to uplift you. The possibilities are endless! Maybe working in social media is not as out of the ordinary as I think, it seems everyone in my generation is trying to do this, but I still find it fascinating.

Social Media is more than just taking selfies, trolling people or seeking attention. You can influence others with your own opinion globally, something which would take you years to accomplish in the past. I once heard from a speaker (really can’t remember who) that during our parent’s time growing up, all they had to worry about were the people under their roof at home and their well-being; it would take a lot to throw them off or affect their day to day lives, even if something had happened to families abroad, due to communication limitations. Nowadays however, someone can leave a comment on your Instagram page saying you’re ugly and that’s your whole day ruined. The contrast is unbelievable, but that is how much society has evolved over the years, so much so that now companies pay ‘influencers’ to advertise their products because of the huge following they have built up. This is what people sign up for when they join a different Social Media platform; it’s the chance to tell your own story to the world (publicly or privately) and the journey you have been on to get to where you are today.

Now I agree, Social Media can be difficult and make people feel somewhat worse after being on it for a substantial period of time. Yes, it can be fake and false as people only speak about the positive things they have going on in their life, and there is a real problem we have amongst teenagers who are using it for the wrong purposes, or who rely on it for self-confidence or validation from their peers. I feel that with anything there are always downfalls no matter how hard you try. This is where all eyes are moving towards during any spare time – it’s unavoidable if you’re trying to evade any TV Spoilers (Game of Thrones is the worst at this honestly), but overall it can be really positive. It all depends on who you allow to capture your attention, and what your reasons are for browsing on each platform.

Coming up in the next article, find out how I broke the news to my family that I had taken a risk and discarded a normal 9–5 job, how well that conversation went and what fears have I realised doing something of this nature.