Many successful people are on youtube telling everyone to follow their passion.
The theory is great, we follow our passion and it means we don’t have to work again. (or at least it doesn’t feel like it) We do a great job at what we enjoy, we over-deliver, we put extra hours in, we are passionate, we get more fulfilment, proud and it shows.
The Problem
Most of the people who say you should follow your passion have already made it financially, they can now afford to follow their passion, because we all want to express ourselves and many are unable to until they retire. As soon as people are financially free, they have the luxury to follow their passion for a few years and stumble across a way to monetise there efforts, a lot of hobbies/interests do not have clear ways of making money and its a long road.
If you have skills and a clear way of monetising your passion, then you should definitely follow your passion, but if your passion was a town (like I was passionate about Pattaya, Thailand) then making money from it was a long and slow process, because I had to move there, learn many skills and try many different businesses within the town. Now that I have been living in Pattaya 12 years, I have an edge.
Easiest Path?
I find it easier for most people to find a job they dislike but good pay. (because most people do not like the risk and anxiety of starting a business or being self-employed) If you can follow the money for a 35 hour a week job and you can work your passion after your shift every day or within it, then this is the less risk-free but slower way of doing it. But it does take a long time to build up a steady and decent income.
I have met tons of guy that have grafted at work, fixed houses up after work and then retire and live off property rentals in the 40-50 year age bracket. Money is a trade of time now for fun in the future, we have all worked horrible jobs and done things we didn’t want to do.
I love what I do but I am aware that the stress it can bring and other issues, I do not want to rely on it forever, so I can invest in stocks and shares and not so much what I am passionate about. So I will have a mix of both, following my passion helping people become better versions of themselves but investing in the companies that I understand and that will pay well.
