When I was 17 and began applying to college, I had no clue what I wanted to study, no idea what career I wanted to lead. People told me to pursue my interests, yet discouraged me from being an artist, musician, writer, adventurer — anything that seemed unstable or unpredictable. While I had the opportunity to apply to fashion schools or culinary institutes, I instead chose business school, the route of stability and safety. And though there was nothing wrong with this — as I can accept that passion isn’t always meant to be a career, my decision limited me from cultivating my interests and following my dreams.
It’s a shame to me that, during our lifetime, we may never get the chance to indulge in the things that we love. Sure, the aspiring journalist will share her writing but may never be published in the New York Times; the ambitious actor will star in a school play but may never be the headlining name of a Broadway performance; the songs written by the guitarist may be sung, but never be properly showcased to the world. All because we are operating under the belief that we can’t pursue specific paths based on an argument of practicality, where sensibility is more important than passion.
But by doing this, we are cheating ourselves out of living a full life. We may not have it all in this lifetime, but I believe by pursuing the avenues that thrill and inspire us, we can achieve success on the most significant level.
While we all have limitations as to what career paths we choose, we must find something within our respective fields that interests us — a dream job, a future lifestyle, anything at all to make studying for the next four years — and makes living the rest of our lives worthwhile.
This is the reality: there's a difference between pursuing your passion and cultivating it. You might not have the opportunities to lead a life as a poet, performer or artist but, you can certainly find a balance between that thrill and passion you get from doing something you love and the stability you want for the future.
