#passion #bills #life #DoWhatYouLove #jobs #LoveWhatYouDo
“Passion doesn’t pay bills.”
So says the beginning of a TV ad for Etsy.
This makes one think of childhood, and something everyone’s parents may have said.
You may passionately want to be a rock star, the conversation then proceeds, but not everyone can be a rock star. You have to find something steady that will make you a living.
Play your guitar at home, during your off hours.
It’s certainly true that not everyone who wants to be a rock star will be. Competition is fierce, and there’s a lot of talent out there. The difference between one who makes it as a rock star and one who doesn’t may involve a lucky break or two, or meeting the right person.
But the conversation with one’s parents almost always seems to devolve into encouraging the child, regardless of age, to settle for something he or she may not want.
We can extrapolate further. How miserable, and regretful, will this child be 40 years later that he or she did not pursue his or her passion?
Very likely, a lifetime of paid bills may be no consolation.
One should have a twofold consideration in the pursuit of life. What do you WANT to do? What do you have to do to get what you want? If you don’t get what you want immediately, what do you do in the meantime? The second part is: What do you do to ensure you have a good life throughout? What plan do you put in place to make that happen? How do I make enough to live well, save well, invest well for the future etc.?
The answer is to be both idealistic and practical. Give yourself some time to pursue your passion. If you fail initially, put a Plan B in place as you continue to pursue your passion. What you earn in Plan B can buy you time to get to Plan A.
Sock away a portion of what you earn toward your future, and invest it prudently. Don’t raid that stash for frivolous expenditures.
Perhaps you are the person who has not yet found his or her passion. Perhaps you started with a relatively secure Plan A, and it is treating you OK. You are content. Yet, you want something more.
(Remember, too, that secure Plan A’s are fleeting. They may not last as long as you want them to.)
Or, you may have a passion that is not necessarily paying your bills, but you want to keep pursuing it.
In short, if you have a passion, don’t be afraid to pursue it. Pursue it because you enjoy it. If it pays off financially, consider yourself fortunate. Do something, preferably something you don’t hate, to accommodate your practical needs for as long as you need to. (Hopefully, for as long as you want to.)
Try to live the life you want with few regrets, so you can reach your death bed not wondering what could have been. Not everything you want to happen will happen, but make sure that if things don’t happen, it is not because of something you did, or didn’t do.
Passion may not pay all of your bills, but if they pay some, you would probably have achieved your goals. If they don’t pay any bills, make sure your Plan B does not stop you from pursuing your passion.
Peter
Tag Archives: talent
A POSITIVE ATTITUDE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
#PositiveAttitude #attitude #talent #discipline
To your eyes, is the glass half-empty or half-full?
When working with a team on a project, are you the first to see the worst-case scenario, and be immediately convinced that the worst will happen?
When getting reassigned at work, do you automatically presume it will be the worst thing that could happen?
Vicki Hitzges discusses attitude in her little book, “Attitude Is Everything: 10 Rules for Staying Positive.”
Her 10 rules include: wait to worry; keep an attitude of gratitude; your health is your wealth; the serious benefits of belly laughs; joy boomerangs; losing the fight? write; keep the faith, baby; learn to say “no” graciously; understand the power of discipline; and surround yourself with positive people.
In the interest of space, let’s focus on the last two rules. Hitzges tells the story of Lilly Mae, a bright girl from a good family who had a solid education. “She knew a smattering about everything, from how the moon affects the tides to surviving a freezing weekend without a tent in the forest,” the author writes.
Unfortunately, Lilly’s parents never disciplined her. She never had to do chores, was never taught to say “please” and “thank you,” and never really obeyed her gentle mother, the author writes. As a result, she grew up overweight, with poor study habits and poor social skills, according to Hitzges. Yet, she could sing, play the piano and play the ukulele. She could transform leftovers into a feast. She, indeed, was talented.
“Talent is cheaper than table salt,” Hitzges quotes novelist Stephen King. “What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work,” Hitzges quotes King.
In other words, “talent without discipline won’t take a person far,” the author writes. “Talent with discipline races like a thoroughbred.”
Something else is true. One who has discipline can be more successful than a person with more talent and less discipline.
As you think of this concept, think of athletes, musicians etc. who make a living with their talent. They are essentially forced to be disciplined to hone their craft and practice with others, and on their own, tirelessly. Otherwise, in most cases, they won’t make a living with their talent.
Those less talented than others who make a living in, say, sports or music, do so strictly through hard work. If you can’t outrun someone, out-work him.
As for positive people, the author writes: “Spent much time around people who just drift through life? They don’t set goals, expect others to pick up the slack, just don’t care. Avoid them!” the author writes.
Another adage: “If you can’t change the people around you, change the people around you.”
Negative people will work really hard to try to talk you out of being successful. Hang around people who will support your endeavors, and encourage your success.
If you are a person who considers himself or herself disciplined, and have a need to find a vehicle that could help you become successful, and introduce you to positive people, there are many such vehicles out there. To learn about one of the best, message me.
Your success doesn’t depend on circumstances. Things will happen to you, but those things don’t determine your success. How you deal with them determines your success. Your positive attitude will help you combat any pitfalls in your life, and allow you to take advantage of the good things that come into your life.
Peter