Recently I came across a post on WhatsApp by a friend of mine complaining about how he has had to abandon his passion because it doesn't put food on the table, while he's starting to develop a passion for the skill he's currently utilizing to survive. This got me thinking about what we've been constantly bombarded with in the name of motivation.
Many a time I've listened to motivational speakers encourage and even implore us to chase after our passions. I've heard them tell us that if we're diligent in whatever we're passionate about, then we're headed for the sky.
Well, this friend of mine is a fantastic MC and public speaker, he's very passionate about it and has even written a book on leadership. But then, he's doing graphics design and academic research to survive. He posts a lot these days about his passion for good graphics and branding.
I also have a friend who's so passionate about football and trains like his life depends on it. But he also is surviving on freelance graphic design jobs and also has a laundry business.
I have another friend who can't live without music. His voice resonates with a sweet and soothing melody whenever he sings. He's done many covers of James Arthur, Sam Smith, and the like, and also has a few songs to his name. But it's crypto and freelance writing jobs that are sustaining him.
These are a few individuals with clearly spelled out passions that they believe in. If you ask them what their purpose on earth is, they'll tell you that it is tied to their passion. But these are also people who have given a kind of side bench treatment to their passion while they dedicate more time to the things that resonate more with their reality.
Truth is I've seen people exhibit stubbornness when it comes to their passions, and forsaking other opportunities, believing that every other thing is a distraction and should be treated as such. I've seen people do the same thing over and over again without any tangible results, but still, they refuse to change or explore other options.
Don't get me wrong, passion is a good thing and it's not wrong for one to pursue his passions. It is that field that you're naturally motivated to be better in. But then there are theoretical motivations, and there are practical realities. You don't live your motivations, you live your realities. And I believe that if our motivations are not improving our realities, then we should get new motivations.
Personally, I grew up falling in love with broadcasting and wishing to make a career out of it someday (a dream I still hold dear). I wanted so much to be an On-Air Personality. Even when I was in the university, I took every opportunity to engage in public speaking and leadership roles. Anything that would put me in a position to dispense knowledge to others was welcome.
But that in itself hasn't put food on my table, and I've found myself developing more love and dedicating more time to writing, live streaming, video editing, and motion graphics which have been my main sources of sustenance.
Passion is a very positive feeling and if we're passionate about something, then we should indulge in it, but then there are things we need to understand
- Our passion for anything shouldn't stop us from improving on other facets of life
- Our passion shouldn't make us monotonous
- Sometimes our passion is supposed to be our side hustle.
- Our passion can be outdated
- We can develop new passions.
When we understand these points, then we'll be able to lead a better and more productive life. We'll know when to pursue, when to improve on, and when to focus on other things. We'll also understand that it's better to know more than we need than to need more than we know.
The world is moving at a very fast pace that barely gives us any chance to breathe. Innovations are birthed every day in every nook and cranny of this global village. We can't afford to be left behind because we're holding on to things that are archaic or we're too narrow-minded because of the things we call our passion. We need to understand where our passions are no longer serving our best interests and try to improve on them or find new passions.
all images are mine
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