What is your GREATEST Passion?

What are your thoughts on: "Doing What You Like","Following Your Passion"?

• There have been circumstances where people needed to choose between their passion and a decent salary package. So, If you've chosen your passion like people say "Do what you love", has it in any way helped to match the salary that you left before? Do you think that you have the same financial status which you would have had if you had accepted the decent salary job offer? (I am doing my engineering but passionate for arts and somehow ended up in an engineering college). So, I need answers from people who have had a real experience of these things and are happy with what they chose (preferably Passion) because these things do cross your mind when you want to do what you love.

• Answer:

  WARNING: This is going to be long. Quite long, maybe. Okay, so this is a very tricky issue. It's like an ongoing quest. Something which can be extremely different for different people, under different circumstances. This is one of those topics that keeps buzzing in my mind almost every other day (I'm a thinker, I think a lot) & to be extremely honest, I'm trying to figure it out for myself too! A bit of a background: I come from a family of highly educated individuals, where career & education is given the topmost priority. Almost everyone in our (large) family is an Engineer (IITs, double M.Tech (even!?!)) with the exception of those with their interests in medicine. Growing up for a really long time I wanted to become a Doctor. Or I thought that I wanted to. Thankfully, I realized well in time that it wasn't something that *I* wanted. Not so thankfully, I was (obviously) talked(?) into* pursuing Non-Med science post the boards. I was told that it was the only other way by which I could assure myself a successful career, financial independence (somethings which I personally HAD to have. I cannot tell you how strongly I feel about these 2 things). *how & when that happened... is really another, epic story. 11th & 12th: At the risk of sounding absolutely dramatic, I am going to quote in Hindi. "Dene wala jab bhi deta, deta chappar phaad ke." This is not really restricted to the good stuff. You can take my word for it. Like Murphy said, "If anything can go wrong, it will." And, odds are that all of it will, at the same time. The point is my 11th & 12th pretty much sucked, to say the least. Somewhere mid term into 11th, I discovered my (non existent) 'sketching' side during the lectures, in my *new* school; and my 'constantly-obsessively-thinking-never-quite-at-rest-philosophical' head was also discovering a lot of other things. I cannot be doing something which does not interest me. I cannot be doing something I cannot be good at. I do not want to succumb to being average. I want to try to be good at something. Something which doesn't interest me, I cannot be good at it in the long run. This cannot be the only way. ...and so on.... Fortunately, under the <sarcasm> great </sarcasm> ongoing circumstances (everything put together), I was never satisfied/ at peace. And so, I made up my mind to NOT to pursue engineering at any cost. I did not even write ANY of the engineering entrances. Because, I NEVER wanted to keep it even as an option to get talked into (again). ____________ Let me be very honest, it's not like post this enlightenment I was absolutely fearless & set out to recklessly run after some unrealistic passion. Given my priorities & desires, I thought of finding a balance. I narrowed down my options to 2 relatively safer career/ degree choices which included something that I'd be interested in studying & which would later, sort of help me to work in the areas of my interest... Eventually, I went on to pursue management (which in no way is a very bold step- I agree; but it was quite something at home, extended family included). Then, I made a 'supposed' controversial college choice and later (final year), chose to specialize in the field of my interest (again against all *odds*) even when I was having an inner conflict between getting an assured good score VS studying the subjects I was interested in & taking a risk with the score. I'm glad I did. I followed my interest and got the score as well. _______________ Job/ Working. With less than an year's job experience, pretty much a n00b in this area. But from what I've seen: People from all backgrounds work in all fields. There's money in a LOT of things, contrary to what the Indian belief goes. Experience- everyone will ask for experience in the relevant field. They don't even care so much as to what you have studied. Chances are that you only know (as per them) what you have done in your previous job/ project. Maybe, there is a bit of a safety-net which comes with the technical background. But at the end of the day, what looks great from the outside might not be so great for someone who is actually in it. And sadly, not many of your friends will tell you the truth. Most of my engineering friends haven't even begun their careers yet. Some who didn't do it just because everyone else was, are getting placed in absolutely top notch firms, in leading MNCs like Google US, getting unbelievable remuneration etc. While some are really struggling with the idea of actually pursuing in the tech field. They just want to do an MBA to change their field. There's a similar pattern I've noticed among my seniors too. Some kicking ass, some ...well ... getting their a**es kick. Same goes for the people in other fields, as well.  Just because you are working in a XYZ company, earning XYZ amounts of money= Happiness & Success. Nope. Not true. There are many more allied factors than we realize. It does matter a lot though, if you are doing something which you like! As you will be doing it for almost all of the waking hours of the day, everyday for the rest of your life. Or atleast, moving in that direction. Yes, money undeniably plays an important factor, as it's required for one's sustenance. But I'd say that you rather start a notch lesser; take the risk- while you still can! Look for something where there is an amalgamation of your passions, abilities, interests & the potential to make that money too! Rather than feeling substandard and suffocated for your entire life. It's a really, really tough road (I'm walking on it) but I'd rather try. (For the 2 years of settling was even tougher) And *just because* you asked this question, something tells me that you want to too. Choose, take accountability & give it your best shot! Money will follow.