I was speaking to my younger cousin, Jesica (yes, one “s”, in which she discovered herself when she was a teenager!) who just started college as a freshman this fall. She said, “I’m having a hard time figuring out what I want to do. It’s great to make money in the future, but I don’t want to have a career in something I don’t like.” Majority of the population has gone through this feeling. What career can you take on that you will be absolutely certain you will wake up every morning ecstatic for the day? Chances are, most of us still have not found it.
Whether you’re in college or you’ve been working for years, one thing you should not do is chase money. Like my cousin said, making money is great, but what does it really count for if you’re not happy? If you’re making six digits, but your life is absolutely miserable, what does it matter? So you can buy nice items to make yourself temporarily feel better and be known has high class? Sorry, but that won’t last long and you’ll be miserable again. What one must do, is reverse the thinking. Chase what makes you happy, discover it, learn the business behind it, and money will start to chase you.
For those of you who already know what makes you happy, great! You’re one step ahead. I will drop you with the sense of inspiration, but it is up to you to provide the perspiration and persistence to let the money follow. Whatever makes you happy is what is probably your passion. How can one not be addicted to what makes them happy? If it makes you smile, why should we stop ourselves from keeping that smile on our face? If you’re working full-time for others, take on projects on the side to make money from whatever your passion is. In this day and age, our creativity and our passion is what allows money to follow us. If you’re initially stumped, a simple Google search for “ways to make money online” can steer you towards the right direction. You can share your passion with the world through blogging, youtube, or any social media. You never know what could follow! You can always contact me for help as well.
For the majority who still wants to know what career will make them happy, you really have to make an effort to discover it. The best time is when you’re about to enter or in college. Let’s be honest, college doesn’t exactly show you what a specific career path is all about. One has to do their own research, kind of guess what they think they would be doing in the career, and then they’re forced to choose a major, in which most of our lives are then determined from there. Doesn’t exactly sound like a route in which you know you’ll be happy, right?
So for individuals like my cousin Jes, you have to get out there and be on constant discovery mode. If there is something that you think you’ll be interested in, dig deeper into it. Do not be lazy about it. Digging deeper would entail actually finding a job in that field to discover whether you like it or not. It can even be speaking to numerous professionals that are in the field to gain a real life perspective. If you don’t like it, move on. If you do continue to like it, keep on digging! Never settle! The most important aspect of this discovery is that you’re actually proactive. Sure, don’t forget to have fun, but replace those lazy moments of your life with proactive action to not only find a career you’ll like, but happiness in your life! Isn’t that a good enough reward?
I can honestly say that majority of the people that I’ve encountered would describe their work as “eh”, “it’s okay”, “it pays the bills”, or “I totally hate it.”
Those above answer, I have chosen not to ever respond like that (because I have at one point). If I do respond that way, then whatever I am doing, I am moving on. I’ve gone through this discovery mode and it was an uplifting experience. It is never too late for anybody to find what makes them happy. When you find this happiness, translate it into your passion. Get your creative juices flowing and let the money and happiness follow you!
Good luck to all!
