On New Years Day at 1:30 AM, I was having a conversation with this guy who works at a Financial firm in NYC. He asked me if I am going to make lots of money in 2014.
I said that i would like to make a lot of money without having to compromise my passions, so that I can make money doing the things that I love.
"But that's almost impossible."
I told him about what I do and he was impressed. He said he wishes he could do the same with his passion: Golf.
He said he would love to be able to teach Golf and pursue that as a career but he is not as good as the pros and there is already too much competition to create a career out of it. On top of that he already has a job that takes up a majority of his time.
This isn't a new thing.
There are millions of people out there who are working at office jobs they dont like but receive a consistent salary.
This is one of the biggest dilemmas of our lives.
Do I prioritize making money or should I put my passion first? Why can't I do both?
If I prioritize money and get a job, I will end up working 40-70 hours a week working for someone else, without much time for myself, but I will be making a consistent salary.
If I prioritize my passion, I run the risk of not making much money but I am creating my own project and chasing after my passions.
The question comes in: When is the right time to change?
Of course, there are exceptions to all this... Some of us have found jobs that we enjoy immensely. This article is not for you. Go back to what you were doing...
Change is good. Change is important. The world around us is always change. WE are always changing, every second of our lives. Sometimes change happens very quickly. Other times it feels like it takes years for changes to occur. For the most part, I like to look at change as a very important key to my happiness. It keeps things exciting. It keeps me on my toes and interested. Without Change I belive life would be very boring.
The biggest obstacle in our way is the Fear of Uncertainty. Most of us don't like uncertainty. We want to have a set salary so we know how much we will be making by the end of the year. We want to have a routine to keep us in line. We take the same route to work so that we are not late.
What will happen to me if I quit?
This fear is so powerful that it can completely consume you to the point where you get to age 60 and ask yourself, "Where did all the time go?"
The only way for you to find out is to do it. Nike was right when they said, "Just do it." Sometimes the best way to learn something new is to throw yourself in and figure it out. And Yes, its a scary thought that you will have to sacrifice your salary in order to pursue what you love. Yes it will be hard and you will struggle, but things will work themselves out. I promise.
There is something really special about creating something from an idea in your mind. To plant a seed and to give it your all and watch it grow and care for it as it slowly emerges to form your beautiful creation... From your idea.
I once met a man on the street in Santa Cruz. He started playing piano at age 75 and by 83 recorded an entire album from scratch. All from his head. Songs that were just floating around in his mind and he went and grabbed them. He wanted it. He was willing to go through the struggle to make it happen.
This is for the person who feels that internal itch: that impulse to want to change their life.
I say, Go for it! You only live once and you are never too old to try something new.
I am certainly no expert (but then again who is an expert at Life?).
Here are a few words of advice from my personal experiences:
Evaluate your current situation. Look at the entire picture.
Everything good takes some degree of struggle in order to happen. Enjoy it! Live for theChallenge.
There is no prescription for Life. To each his/her own. Go and find yourself.
Think about these key question:
1. If you could be doing anything else with your life, What would you do?
2. What would be your ideal lifestyle?
3. Why?
4. What is in your way?
5. How will you achieve what you want?
6. Are you willing to take on the challenges and the struggle in order to make it happen?
7. Are there other people already living your dream lifestyle?
8. How are they making it happen?
Maybe you can put in a few hours after your day job towards making your passion project come alive. Maybe you can collaborate with someone in creating something great. Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps...
But Please! Do yourself the favor and make an effort to try.
I guarantee you, it will be gratifying.
Dont let yourself get to the point in your life where you regret that you never took action to go after your passions.
I will never forget this article: Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.
The first one is: I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
The second is: I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
Most people realize it too late, but its something I've heard countless times.
I'll leave this one for the great Mark Twain.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Mark Twain
I dont expect you all to agree with everything I say, What do you think?