Money or Passion? A question who’s answer eluded me throughout all of high school and didn’t find it until the end of my sophomore year of college. Did I want to have a job with good security and made me wealthy? Or, did I want a job that would make me jump out of bed every day with a smile on my face knowing that I’m living my dream? I know almost everyone has some confusion at one point or another on what they truly want to do and there is absolutely no wrong answer on whatever you decide. I choose passion over money and maybe after reading this you’ll have a better idea on what you want to do.

When you go into your first year of college, the university and the world expects that you already 100% know what you want to do for the rest of your life. That would be nice if it was true, but sadly I would say only around 15-20% of incoming freshmen know that for sure. Understandably, that’s why universities make you take general education electives during freshman and sophomore year, but during that time you only get a sample of other majors and it makes you feel rushed because if you decide to change your major after sophomore year, you’re looking at 5-6 years of college instead of 4. It messes with your head and it could lead to stress. I know when it was time to pick classes for junior year I was freaking out trying to decide between staying in a major knowing I would always have a job right out of college and making over 6-figures a year, or years of struggling and dedication for my dream job, which is very slim of obtaining. I chose the latter.

It may seem like I made a horrible choice giving up an opportunity as good as that over a dream, but that’s what this all about though--turning my dreams into a reality and being happy. If I don’t try to turn my dream into something real, then I’m going to find myself waking up in my giant house, driving to my 6-figure job which I hate and while I’m stuck in traffic I’ll be thinking about what my life would be like if I went after my passion. To be honest, that is what truly scared me the most from having to make this decision. The “What if?” factor. It came to the point where I realized I couldn’t imagine going through life doing something I don’t enjoy just because I was too scared to take a risk. Life is too short to be afraid.

I’m not saying you made the wrong choice if you decided to take the path of job stability and wealth, because the saying “money can’t buy happiness” is a lie. If your job allows you enough time off to enjoy your money, then you found yourself an ideal situation. Does the cost of that vacation time outweigh the cost your overall happiness, though? If you said yes, then you know what path to choose. If you happen to have a passion for one of those high paying jobs like an attorney, doctor, scientist then it’s a double win for you. I’ve asked other students about this question on passion vs. money and an answer I hear a lot is “I need a high paying job because my passion is to travel and see the world”. I understand where they’re coming from, but I also ask them “if traveling is your passion then why not work for a cruise line, or a pilot, or any job that revolves around traveling”? This way you aren’t stuck in a job that you dislike and can only travel probably once a year, while you can live out your passion and travel for your job!

When it comes to following your passion it’s scary, because in my experience most passions aren’t considered the society’s norm for jobs. It took me 20 years to figure out that what I truly wanted to do for a career is to produce/write for television. When I bring that up to people probably 90% of them greet me with a surprised/disgusted expression on their face. Usually followed by something like, “you know there aren’t really a ton of jobs available for that” and “you’re probably going to have to struggle for years until you have an opportunity to get into the industry” and of course “are you serious?”. Yes, I seriously left my major in hospitality management, which would provide a secure job and enough money to provide for myself 10 times over to pursue a job in television writing. I’m going to struggle and it is going to be incredibly hard, but if the reward is getting to do what I love for a living then I’ll risk everything to win. You can’t let others tell you what to do because they aren’t you! I know it’s corny, but you got to listen to your heart and follow whatever makes you happy. If someone tells you “that not many people get that dream job that your trying to get”, then you just tell them “If someone already has that job, then I can have that job”. Passions don’t come easy and you’re going to have to give it everything you got to eventually achieve it, but I promise you that nothing can beat waking up to the job of your dreams. So, if you don’t know what you want to for a career and freaking out, don’t worry. Take a few deep breaths, clear your mind, and find your passion. My advice would be to take the path wherever your passion is located and never look back.