Finding your cutie mark

[SciTwi 61]

So I'm at a point where I was wondering what I wanna do with my life. I feel pressured to just "get a job that pays well", but I feel like if that's all there is to life, then what's the point? Right? So do you think following your passion, even though it might be a riskier career choice is better than picking a route that will be more financially stable in the long run?

 

-SciTwi

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

I'm pretty pessimistic. So I typically am always like: "Go with what's reliable." Because this is a pretty big risk. Money is quite sadly and nonsensically the source of everything in our society and most people can't afford to pursue their passions. If they can, they're usually either lucky or they have opportunities that the rest of us don't have. (Like being rich, having connections, etc.)

 

Don't get me wrong. I agree. I think that there is WAY more to life than just jobs and money. (If you couldn't tell, I think the concept of currency is stupid and outdated.) I don't think we should spend years toiling away just trying to survive. Humans should be better than that. Not create a more advanced and miserable system of survival of the fittest that has very inconsistent rules and wastes most peoples' true talents on meaningless work. Can you imagine how much more efficient and better our society would be if everyone could pursue the things they were best at? But this is the world we live in. So honestly, most people are just going to have to settle.

 

The best and most realistically you can do to drive yourself from going crazy with the misery of a crappy job is to try to find time from your work schedule to cram in something related to your passion. Either as a hobby or one day trying to get into that field. But you will have to work if you don't have someone to help you pay your bills regardless of what you do. And trying to get into that passion will likely be a slow ungrateful grind as you struggle to balance work and your passion, trying to keep the motivation to wake up and do it all. If you're determined and lucky enough, then you CAN make it work. It never hurts to be optimistic, of course. But remember to stay realistic as well. You have to start small. And if you get to the point where you don't need that crappy old job anymore, then you have got it made.

 

Ultimately though, it's up to the person who wants to make that decision. Although I personally would not recommend giving up your day job entirely to pursue a passion unless you're really sure and you have things together. 

 

It's similar when going through schooling. You can pick something you're passionate at, and STILL have to end up working a crappy job to pay off your debts. I don't really think the choice matters as much as people make it out to. A lot of people in school don't know what they want, and may get degrees that are either useless or that they decide they aren't interested in the work anymore. They can of course get through the courses successfully and get a job in the end, and that's nice too. But again, that choice isn't important because the person making it usually isn't informed enough yet. I think the system should be changed so that people can try out a variety of jobs rather than being pressured into this choice. In this situation in our actual non-ideal world though, I would recommend trying to go for what you're passionate about, as you're not out there working just yet (except for maybe a meaningless job to pay your debts), so you don't have anything to lose except maybe a few wasted years if you've got appropriate financial support. But also accepting the possibility that that may not happen, and then either having to change your goal to something more realistic or... well, staying in a more meaningless job and eventually being promoted to a manager or something.

 

But again, all of this really depends on a person's situation. So it might be more feasible for some than others. There's no clearcut easy solution or answer to the dilemma. 

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

When chose a job, my dad told me "If you find a job you love you'll never work a day in your life." You should definately gong or your dream job if that is what ylu truly want, but be sure to have a backup plan in case you can't make it. It will probably be risky, and you'll have to decide if it is worth it.

[MrMammal 157]

Do what you love and enjoy. I have done a lot in my life and wanted to do a lot of different things. Nothing really stuck though when I asked myself the important question "Can I see myself doing this 40+ hours a week?"

 

If not then you should do something else because you will not enjoy it and dread work and it adds a lot of stress you don't want/need to deal with. If there is a will there is a way to make whatever you want to do work. Take time and think/plan it out and go for it. Deal with the problems and they come up but don't let them sidetrack you for your end goal.

 

I know personally once I get out of the Air Force I am going to be putting pretty much everything to opening my own business because it's the one thing I've loved doing and wanted to do since I was little.

 

So just because a job might seem to have more money if you wont enjoy it, it will turn up being crap in the long run.

[Professor SnuSnu 100]

Hey, I understand how you feel. I'm the second child in my family but I'm the only son, so as to follow the culture of our ancestors, the pressure is placed on the first born son. So I am supposed to have a well payed job and support the family and so on. My father pesters me day and night about this and since I'm going into a field of study that....doesn't guarantee a stable job, I'm even pressured more than ever. Even though I'm told that everyday, there is one regret I've read on Reddit that will always stick to me.

A man that was adventurous and wild, decided to do what he didn't want to and go with a 9-5 Job(He gets a decent paycheck) but now he regret wasting 20 years of his life doing the same routine over and over and over.

If you want to read it, it might be a bit long but it's worth the read.

https://www.reddit.com/comments/2livoo/

Edited August 15, 2015 by Professor SnuSnu

[SciTwi 61]

That's what I decided on doing. I've been cramming like crazy trying to make time for myself and what I eventually want to do. It's hard though since I have a very physically demanding job to get the energy to do it.
Prof. snusnu, I get where you're coming from. I'm the oldest male in my family too, so I have a lot of that burden on my shoulders too. That's also part of the dilemma as well, what makes me happy and what makes everypony else happy =P I'm just one of those people that don't like to disappoint. Ya know?

 

 

I'm pretty pessimistic. So I typically am always like: "Go with what's reliable." Because this is a pretty big risk. Money is quite sadly and nonsensically the source of everything in our society and most people can't afford to pursue their passions. If they can, they're usually either lucky or they have opportunities that the rest of us don't have. (Like being rich, having connections, etc.)

 

Don't get me wrong. I agree. I think that there is WAY more to life than just jobs and money. (If you couldn't tell, I think the concept of currency is stupid and outdated.) I don't think we should spend years toiling away just trying to survive. Humans should be better than that. Not create a more advanced and miserable system of survival of the fittest that has very inconsistent rules and wastes most peoples' true talents on meaningless work. Can you imagine how much more efficient and better our society would be if everyone could pursue the things they were best at? But this is the world we live in. So honestly, most people are just going to have to settle.

 

The best and most realistically you can do to drive yourself from going crazy with the misery of a crappy job is to try to find time from your work schedule to cram in something related to your passion. Either as a hobby or one day trying to get into that field. But you will have to work if you don't have someone to help you pay your bills regardless of what you do. And trying to get into that passion will likely be a slow ungrateful grind as you struggle to balance work and your passion, trying to keep the motivation to wake up and do it all. If you're determined and lucky enough, then you CAN make it work. It never hurts to be optimistic, of course. But remember to stay realistic as well. You have to start small. And if you get to the point where you don't need that crappy old job anymore, then you have got it made.

 

Ultimately though, it's up to the person who wants to make that decision. Although I personally would not recommend giving up your day job entirely to pursue a passion unless you're really sure and you have things together. 

 

It's similar when going through schooling. You can pick something you're passionate at, and STILL have to end up working a crappy job to pay off your debts. I don't really think the choice matters as much as people make it out to. A lot of people in school don't know what they want, and may get degrees that are either useless or that they decide they aren't interested in the work anymore. They can of course get through the courses successfully and get a job in the end, and that's nice too. But again, that choice isn't important because the person making it usually isn't informed enough yet. I think the system should be changed so that people can try out a variety of jobs rather than being pressured into this choice. In this situation in our actual non-ideal world though, I would recommend trying to go for what you're passionate about, as you're not out there working just yet (except for maybe a meaningless job to pay your debts), so you don't have anything to lose except maybe a few wasted years if you've got appropriate financial support. But also accepting the possibility that that may not happen, and then either having to change your goal to something more realistic or... well, staying in a more meaningless job and eventually being promoted to a manager or something.

 

But again, all of this really depends on a person's situation. So it might be more feasible for some than others. There's no clearcut easy solution or answer to the dilemma. 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,732]

Me, I am all about stability. While I would love to have a dream and chase it, my biggest hope in life is that I stay financially secure and hopefully being able to live with my boyfriend someday. I currently get disability and at this point, it is my only option, but I am honestly fine with it. Living within my means is fine with me. I have little to no confidence in myself when it comes ot life so the future scares me, but I try to focus on my simple lifestyle and not overcomplicate things. It is different for everyone. 

[SciTwi 61]

You should always have confidence in yourself, Kyoshi. I've personally struggled with (and still sometimes do) self confidence. But I always have to believe I have something in me that makes me keep moving forward with what I love to do and who I am. It's tough, especially when people don't always understand. but that's the whole idea of a cutie mark, right? I don't want to let that unique thing go, or stop working toward it. So I feel obligated to keep at it no matter what.

[El Duderino 879]

Personally, I would rather do something I love than get payed well. If you love your job, then you will never work a day in your life.

[PinkieatHeart 208]

Thing is, a person in a "stable job" can be laid off in a moment's notice, so it's generally not nearly as stable as people like to think. So why stick with a job you could actually lose that seems stable and smart, when you can follow your dreams and have the chance to live the life you were meant to live?

 

Sure, you can get a job to pay the bills in the meantime, but I would suggest following your dreams with all your heart, because if you don't fight for them, who will? Besides- you have a right to go after having a life you truly feel is worthwhile.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

I've taken the view that whilst having a job that I really enjoy would be nice, what I really want is a job that I think achieves something important, which is related but not exactly the same thing. That way even if I end up spending twenty plus years in an office doing an unpleasant job with unpleasant people, I will be able to look back and think that it was worthwhile. Not to mention if I think that what I am doing matters then I will probably enjoy a job more anyway.

 

That said, I think the most important bit is to come up with a plan and something to aim for - not necessarily because said plan will work, or because you will reach that goal, but because working towards that goal is satisfying in and of itself and you might find a better goal later on (at which point you will be better able to judge what you can and can't achieve as well.)

 

Disclaimer: this approach has not yet been fully tested over the course of a whole lifetime, individual results may vary, no refunds.

[pinkiepiebabe 87]

You're not going to love every part of even your dream job, but you have to push through the bad to be rewarded by accomplishment.

Edited January 17, 2016 by pinkiepiebabe

[BrainStormPony 4]

Follow your cutie mark!   It's better do something you love than stuck doing something you hate!

Edited January 17, 2016 by BrainStormPony

[EpicEnergy 23,224]

Go for a job that you love, not just one that pays well. Better to be happy than to be rich.

[Tom Gallagher 33,595]

Keep going for your goal. Your friends will always be behind you. 

[Splashee 28,566]

On 8/15/2015 at 3:57 AM, SciTwi said:

So I'm at a point where I was wondering what I wanna do with my life. I feel pressured to just "get a job that pays well", but I feel like if that's all there is to life, then what's the point? Right? So do you think following your passion, even though it might be a riskier career choice is better than picking a route that will be more financially stable in the long run?

 

-SciTwi

So did you get a cutie mark?

 

I have always known what I wanted to do my entire life, from the beginning. However, how to do it was not completely clear to me. And when I got my cutie mark, it just showed an upside down arrow. Really not helping! But at that time I didn't bother too much about it