The Life We Choose - By Angelina Grace Shekinah Kowlessur

Written By: Angelina Grace Shekinah Kowlessur

Category: Prose

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Angelina Grace Shekinah Kowlessur presents "The Life We Choose," a contemplative prose piece participating in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. In this poignant work, Kowlessur delves into the societal constructs of success and personal fulfillment, questioning the paths we are taught to admire. Her submission invites readers to reflect on the true essence of a meaningful life beyond societal expectations and conventional definitions of success.

About the Work

"The Life We Choose" is a thought-provoking piece that challenges societal norms by exploring the disparity between societal admiration and personal fulfillment. Kowlessur's reflective narrative questions the traditional measures of success and encourages readers to consider the intrinsic joy of pursuing a life true to oneself. The prose is rich with introspective questions and vivid imagery that compel one to ponder the worth of unconventional dreams and the courage it takes to pursue them.

The Life We Choose

Original Submission by Angelina Grace Shekinah Kowlessur

The Life We Choose

Who decided that the “successful” path is the only respectable path?

When did we begin teaching children that there are only certain ways to make something of themselves? That some futures are spoken of with a quiet pride, while others are met with a pause, a concerned look, and a gentle, “But what will you do with that?”

Perhaps it begins long before we realise it.

We are asked what we want to be when we grow up before we are even old enough to understand what a life is. And somehow, we learn very quickly which answers make people smile.

Doctor.

Lawyer.

Engineer.

The words seem to carry their own weight. They arrive already dressed in admiration.

And somewhere along the way, we begin to mistake that admiration for a measure of worth.

We build a hierarchy around our dreams without ever admitting that we have built one. Some paths are illuminated so brightly that we hardly think to question them, while others are left standing in the shadows, made to feel uncertain simply because they are unfamiliar.

We tell children to follow their dreams.

But only after teaching them which dreams are sensible enough to follow.

“Choose something secure.”

“Think about your future.”

“Do something respectable.”

They are rarely cruel words. More often, they are words spoken with love. With fear. With the quiet hope that the people we care about will never have to struggle more than they must.

But what happens when the life someone is trying so desperately to secure is not the life they want to live?

What happens when the safest road leads somewhere your heart has never wanted to go?

There is a peculiar kind of loneliness in wanting something that nobody else seems to understand.

Not because you do not believe in it.

But because you have been taught to doubt anything that does not come with a recognisable name.

And slowly, you begin to question yourself.

Perhaps I should want something else.

Perhaps I should be more practical.

Perhaps this is only a phase.

Until one day, you realise you have spent so much time trying to make your dream acceptable that you have forgotten what it felt like before you needed anyone’s permission to want it.

And why?

Why should one person’s dream be considered greater than another’s simply because society has learned to admire one more loudly?

Why should a profession determine the amount of respect a person deserves?

A title can tell us what someone does.

It cannot tell us who they are.

A degree can tell us what they studied.

It cannot tell us what they endured to get there, what they sacrificed, what they loved, or whether they are happy when they come home at the end of the day.

We have become so accustomed to measuring success by what can be displayed that we have forgotten how much of life cannot be displayed at all.

We can measure a salary.

We can measure a qualification.

We can measure how impressive someone’s life appears from the outside.

But how do we measure a person who wakes up every morning grateful for the life they chose?

How do we measure the quiet joy of doing something that feels so deeply yours that you no longer have to ask whether it is enough?

That is success too.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to become a doctor. There is nothing wrong with wanting to become a lawyer, an engineer, a scientist, or any of the professions we have learned to place upon the highest shelves of our admiration.

Those dreams deserve respect.

But so do the dreams that do not fit neatly beside them.

The artist who gives shape to something words could never hold.

The teacher who changes the direction of a child’s life without ever knowing how far that small act will travel.

The writer who reaches a stranger through a page.

The person who builds, creates, teaches, heals, performs, designs, or simply does something because somewhere inside them, something says, this is where I belong.

Why must a life be impressive to be meaningful?

Why must a dream be profitable to be worthy?

Why must we call one person successful and another merely lucky, impractical, or brave for choosing differently?

We have confused being admired with being fulfilled.

We have spent so long teaching people how to build lives that look beautiful from the outside that we have forgotten to ask whether they feel beautiful from within.

So perhaps we should stop asking children what career will make them successful.

Perhaps we should ask them what makes their hearts feel alive.

What they would choose if nobody were watching.

What they would still love if there were no applause waiting at the end of it.

Because a life is not made meaningful by the number of people who are impressed by it.

It is made meaningful by the person who has to live it.

And maybe the most respectable thing a person can ever do is not choose the life that earns them the most admiration.

Maybe it is having the courage to choose a life they will not have to spend years wishing they had lived.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, showcases diverse voices from around the world. It provides an esteemed platform for writers to express their creativity and share their unique perspectives. This competition celebrates the art of storytelling, poetry, and prose, inviting participants to contribute their narratives and challenge conventional viewpoints through the written word.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Angelina Grace Shekinah Kowlessur for her insightful contribution, "The Life We Choose," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her work encourages a profound reflection on personal choices and societal expectations, enriching the dialogue around what it truly means to live a fulfilling life.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.