"Another day, another dollar."
There's a phrase many of us have heard or even uttered ourselves. Pretty telling, no?
How about other famous phrases like, "Another day, another passion project completed.", or, "Another day, another precious memory made with friends and family."
Right. I haven't heard of those either.
All too often, we find ourselves in a balancing act of making an adequate living while trying to find time for our true passions. Fortunate are those who are able to enjoy a fine living pursuing their deepest passions, but for many, their interest or talent doesn't often translate to a meaningful livelihood. Why is that?
This concept is one of the themes of 'Eversteel': passion and its relation to expectation. What price is one willing to pay to follow their true passion? How does one know where their true passions lie?
Fear, expectation, and practicality are the enemies of passion, and powerful enemies they are. Like rain on a flickering flame, they seek to extinguish that which could become a roaring fire if fueled properly.
Given the skyrocketing cost of living and higher education, money extraction algorithms, and endless examples of wealthy lifestyles across all forms of media, it comes as little surprise that our society places a greater emphasis on making money than ever before. In fact, a recent study showed that pay was the determining factor in job satisfaction among American workers.
Although there is a growing trend among younger generations where passion and work-life balance are prioritized, financial constraints and retirement concerns eventually require a change of expectations. As many begin to feel behind financially, they either go with less or accept jobs they find tedious and unfulfilling.
However, fear not. As they say in Rialta, "There's always hope".
Our true passions usually reveal various talents or traits we possess, some of which we might not even be aware. By putting our attention on what we are deeply passionate about instead what others expect of us, we will soon have a clearer idea of where to address our energy.
What if we don't know what our true passions are? What if we aren't all that passionate about anything? What then?
Keep searching. Sit with yourself and take inventory of what you love. Keep trying new things to discover talents you didn't know you have.
A common trait of very successful people across all industries is a deep passion for their work. They dreamed and thought about the pursuit constantly and engaged in it every chance they could. There was no fear of failure or even any risk in their minds because they couldn't think of doing anything else. They absolutely love what they do, became very good at it, and success simply followed. Many of them have even said that fame and fortune was never the goal; they were just so passionate about their work that success was an inevitable byproduct of honing their craft. Some have also said that if money is one's only motivation, then that person is doomed to fail. There must be a deep and authentic passion for the endeavor which can even keep the person up at night, thinking tirelessly about it.
So, perhaps the difference between those who live very well doing what they love and those who don't is simply an ability to identify a true passion clearly and early. However, that's not enough; they also have the courage to follow it completely and without hesitation.
“That all sounds very nice, but I need to feed myself and put a roof over my head. My passion for making stunning butterfly collections won't pay the bills.", you might say.
Perhaps not today. However, the skills required to do that surely translate into other industries. Staying close enough to your true passion while you become more financially independent will keep you somewhat fulfilled while you move closer to engaging in it full time. Before you know it, you'll be one of those living very well, engaged in that which you are most passionate.
So, what's your passion?
