Would you rather work in a job you totally hate but pays you well or work in a job you love and find inspiring but the pay was low and you had to strictly budget your financial matters. Explain your answers.
When I was younger and still in college, I remember this predicament with clarity very well. I remember not really knowing what I wanted to be or do with myself career-wise. I just knew that I wanted to have fun and do fun things and I needed cash to do these things.
My early dreams were mainly focused on spending time on the beach catching the sun during the day and out partying in the evening and having some fun adventures. This was a goal that I couldn't really put onto a CV, but luckily there were other people who thought similar to me.
There was no job that was inspiring that could achieve a goal of not working but just hanging out on a beach. The conundrum for me was that I would then have to do a job I didn't like for money because my goal was not to work, therefore I would also hate it.
The worst thing about being young is that time goes much slower than when you are older, so those 9-5's in the office draaaaaaag! OMG! I mean to get through some of those days nearly killed me.
I remember at the time a good friend of mine whose dream and ambition was more clear. He wanted to be an actor. He had quite an imagination on him and it was sometimes hard to know if he was telling the truth or if his imagination was just running wild. He was a bit like Joey from Friends.
He worked part-time in a crappy paid job and spent most of his time following his actor passion. Doing shows, learning his craft at actor school and basically goofing around doing actor-type stuff.
I would say to him. Man, why don't you forget this acting stuff and earn yourself some cash? You can always do some acting stuff part-time. However he never did, his main career was acting and that was where his focus was.
I could not understand why he would choose to work a job paying so little instead of earning some decent cash.
Many years later I found a career that I too became passionate about. There was always so much to learn, so many things to do and interesting people to meet. I could barely have enough time to get all I wanted to be done. Before I knew it, the mornings were always over and I couldn't plan much in the afternoons because they flew by too.
I had found something I enjoyed doing and was passionate about and the time flew by. It didn't feel like work. Therefore I can say that if you do what you are passionate about, you won't work a day in your life is true. The money is secondary and will come to you anyway. Money is just a tool.
Fast forward 20 years and I see my friend after many years. He still works that part-time job. Has a good bunch of friends and people there. The job is fun and he can put some of his acting skills to work entertaining the people who have known him for many years.
He tells me some of his acting achievements. That time he was on the TV series as an extra. Some of the plays he has done. That time he met one of our favourite actors. It was great catching up. I just wish I had learned earlier to follow my passions and not the money.
Thanks for reading.
Photos are my own.
