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Do what you love or do what pays you? The question that societal obligations pose to us, and that we pose to ourselves, not just as fresh graduates choosing a career, but even as adults constantly re-evaluating our past choices. If we aren’t fortunate enough to be passionate about a career that pays well, the choice can be a tough battle between the mind and heart.
Especially right now, during the global pandemic, having to let go of financial security is another factor of instability during an already exceedingly unstable and stressful time.
Does this mean you must forego your passion, or stick to a job that your body and mind keep reminding you you hate? Doesn’t everyone proclaim that you must “do what you love and success will follow”?
The debate is steeped in subjecting perspectives and personal contexts, but the dilemma is universal. Here’s what our Kool Kanya community members have to say on the topic!
Snigdha Gautam
Passion –a strong, uncontrollable desire. Deciding to follow one’s passion doesn’t come easy. We often go about the wrong way in finding our true passion.We keep grappling with the ultimate question,“What am I passionate about?” We keep trying but we fail to understand the depth of it.
We are advised to follow our passion. But is this good advice?
For passion is fluid; ever-evolving. It changes with time, wisdom and experience. It involves excitement, but requires talent. While most of us have talent, it’s rare that we can synchronise our inner orchestra to play a tune we can actually sing or dance to.
This pandemic has got us into unforeseen situations. Saving and budgeting has become more important than ever. With companies laying off employees, uncertain job markets, and our vulnerable health, it is more important than ever to financially safeguard ourselves and our family.
In this uncertain environment, are we ready to put our lives at stake? Isn’t it best to make sure that we have the finance to take care of the umpteetnth uninvited expense, if it arises? A secure job brings with it a sense of safety. It’s a protective bubble around us. Of course, following one’s passion is not always a dead end. But during this pandemic it is akin to putting all your eggs in one basket, at the risk of it becoming too heavy to carry.
Shilpa Karra
When it comes to this specific topic, I seem to always get up on the wrong side of the bed. This is mostly attributed to the fact that I am a single woman with no extra responsibilities, living with my parents at our ancestral home. I’m free of most costs like the monthly house rental charade, or resulting from assets like a car or jewellery.
But for those who are really curious, I want to mention that the reason I am single, living with my parents in our ancestral home, with no personal assets – and no plans to acquire them in the near future either – is because I have made the bold decision to live as per my own accord.
Have you ever felt that, despite being in well-paid jobs, most of us crave for something better? Something that can keep us content, close to our loved ones, give us more quality “me” time, and possibly entail doing something we love? If we were to reduce it to one word – something that makes us feel “passion.”
I believe that if we could regulate our expenses, then we would never have to choose between either financial security and following a passion. But as humans, we tend to want things we don’t have, irrespective of the value of what we actually have. For this, we must pay a price too, because there are no free lunches here.
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