With the massive number of people in the world, it’s a wonder who you’ll run into. I’ve come across people who’ve played professional sports, been to war, and some who are living out their childhood dreams. Those are the people I enjoy talking to the most.
Unfortunately, many people end up settling in life. Whether it be out of complacency or necessity, too many people give up their goals. Some are forced to choose between what they want to do and what they need to do where others are faced with such adversity they give up. The sad reality of it is, you could be awful at what you love to do but you’ll just be happy because you’re doing it. You can give up on your goals and settle for whatever is easiest and save yourself from the adversity but in the end, you’ll regret your decision.
I’ve spoken to a few people who were doing what they loved to do and were living off meager earning and were happier living that way than if they’d given up their dream for a heftier check every two weeks. Plus, after all the numbers of million and billionaires out there who are suffering from depression, it goes to show that money, while having it can relieve some stress, happiness is more important to one’s wellbeing.
I recently spoke to one woman who loved her job in IT but her self-described addiction was reading. She told me she averaged 600 books per year. I found that hard to believe but considering the circumstances of how our conversation started, I wouldn’t be surprised. I asked if she was able to do that because she learned how to speed read and she said she didn’t watch TV or spend much time on the Internet outside of work and would spend her free time reading. She also stated she read what she loved. If she started a book and got a decent way in and didn’t enjoy the style of writing or the plot, she wouldn’t waste her time but would move onto another book. She wanted to enjoy what she read. She also told me that because she read so much, she’d have to download free books from various websites because otherwise she’d be broke. She spoke of her love for sci-fi and fantasy books and I could hear her love for them in how she spoke. When people talk about a conversation they genuinely enjoy, they can’t seem to talk about it enough and as someone with a literature degree, she gave me a run for my money.
Speaking with her was interesting because she didn’t talk much about her job, which she stated she liked, but focused more on her love of her hobby: reading. Many people think that you need to become a bestselling author or become the next Bill Gates or rise to the peak of the political ladder to attain happiness when in reality, you just have to do what you love, even if you don’t do it professionally. I remember speaking to my aunt and told her that outside of work, I read and focused on my writing but it would have to best be categorized as a hobby as I couldn’t make a living off of it. My aunt told me that for many people, that’s how it starts: you do something you life as a hobby and before you know it, you’re able to make a living from it. That living might be a small one, but it’ll be something you enjoy and you’ll be happier because of it.
I should take a class on marketing my writing and building my author platform. I don’t create YouTube author videos, I don’t panhandle my work for money, I don’t pay social media companies to create accounts to “follow” me. I have my blog, my social media, Wattpad, and word of mouth. Those will have to be built up and I will have to pump out a lot of works so I can do this full time and that will be a long time away. Even then, many famous authors kept their day jobs. That’d also be a good option. It’ll help me retain my sanity.
Drew Schroeder 