The risks of making your biggest passion your job
Hey there Steemians, it's Rabbe here. I came up with the topic a few days ago when I was talking to a friend and he told me about a study he had come across. The study came to the conclusion that a person should always have one thing he/she is passionate about other than work. On the other hand, people always say that you should try to make a career out of what you love most. So what the heck are we supposed to do?
What some of you may be thinking right now.
Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/4671369534
A safe haven
Most of us humans are built to feel stressed about things going on in our everyday life. No matter if it's big or small stuff, eventually it starts to pile up and we feel like we need to get away from it all. Now, most of us have some kinda hobby or pastime to go to when we want to have a break from "everyday reality". For some of us it's reading or painting, some of us like to do sports or build something. It can be anything, as long as you enjoy doing it.
Now, let's think of a situation where you have succeeded in what many people tell you and have made your beloved hobby your job. You are now trapped, since the thing that was the escape has now become the thing to run away from. Of course one can think that if you do something you love, you won't end up being stressed about it. However, I think it will happen sooner or later.
Why? Because I think people are created that way. Things are more fun when you choose to do them. When it becomes more than a hobby, you suddenly have all these responsibilities and things you need to take in account. It doesn't matter if you don't feel like doing it, you have to because that's what pays the bills. For example I like trading cryptocurrencies as a hobby, but I can't imagine doing it for a living. I'd probably get a heart attack sooner or later from all the stress.
Everything in moderation
One of the aspects in something becoming a duty rather than something you want to do is repetition. Like some wise person has said, even the best food in the world will get boring if you eat it everyday. I think that applies to everyday life pretty well. No matter how cool your job is, chances are you will have times when it's not cool at all and you just want to stop doing it all together. Of course there are exceptions, but I think most of us are somewhat similar. This is the beauty of having hobbies, you can do them when you feel like it and take a break if it suits you better. My point is, if work will still feel "like a lot of work" at times, is it worth sacrificing what you love doing the most? I'm not saying you should do something you don't like at all, just that one should think of these things before pursuing a career that might sound awesome at first.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
So what if you still want to make your favourite pastime your job? Go on, do it. But. Try to find something else you feel really passionate about. This way you will still have that emergency exit to use when the stress is getting to you. I strongly believe that most people need something to keep their minds off work.
I guess all this boils down to one question: *Do you see work as a way of life, or something that gives you the ability to live your life the way you want?* A lot of people choose the first one, especially those who want to make a job out of what they love most. However, I'm not sure whether this is healthy in the long run. I am trying to aim for the second option in life. It's completely okay to live either way, it's just a matter of **what you want.** That's one of the biggest questions in life, and yet we tend to forget it pretty often.
That's all for today my friends. Hopefully this got you thinking, or at least didn't feel like a waste of time. As always, feel free to disagree. Until next time. Peace.
-R