Part 2 – The Rewards of Chasing Your Passion
Everybody has heard about ‘follow your passion in life”. It might’ve been from a parent, friend, mentor, teacher, or even a celebrity. It’s easy to understand where they’re coming from but it takes a bit more effort to really appreciate the idea of following your passion.
If you’ve read Part 1 of this series, you would’ve already heard that I didn’t start off doing what I loved. Far from it. I was studying BS Agricultural Engineering, learning plenty of nifty things about calculating and computing for optimised farming practices, but doing nothing related to what I was passionate about – writing.
Well, to be more specific I loved literature, language and linguistics. I loved how Old English literature trickled into the lives of people in the coming centuries and how it influenced how they told their stories. I loved languages and linguistics. I loved art reviews and cultural debates. I loved these all enough to even miss a major exam just to complete my paper interpreting symbolisms and meanings of the hundreds of lines that made up the classic English story of Beowulf.
In 2006 I decided to take leave from uni to look for work. A big decision like that wasn’t an easy one. But I don’t regret taking the leap one bit. I sent myself out into the real world knowing one thing about myself for certain – I can write. Seriously write about anything.
It wasn’t an easy pathway for me. It is a lucrative career, but it takes hard work, effort, and perseverance. This applies to every pathway in life. Even though it was hard, it was worth doing much more than doing something you’re not excited about. You’ll never feel the same kind of drive, or feel as rewarded unless you’re doing what you’re passionate about. It’s as simple as that.
I’m glad that I took that leap over 10 years ago. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have found the perfect job for me, being a Virtual Assistant. Engineering may be someone else’s dream, but it wasn’t mine. Nowadays I get to work with different people on different projects, continuously learning. Apart from writing, I’ve been able to do management roles which has really helped me improve my leadership skills. I can’t imagine what my life would’ve been like if I wasn’t chasing my passion.
