Success is not achieved through obsession, it is achieved when you make your passion your profession.
Joe and Raj were two young boys in their early teens. Both from different parts of the world. They became friends over the internet, for their common interest was Music. They would spend hours discussing different styles and genres of music. Joe even had a blog with a moderate number of followers where he gave reviews about new bands.
Raj’s mom thought that this American friend of his’ was a complete idiot. Both Raj and Joe were like-minded when it came to music but quite the opposite poles of the magnet when it came to career.
It was Raj who had abandoned their plan of forming a band and pursuing music as their profession. Raj’s dad thought investing time and money in such an education and profession would not yield anything good. Without arguing much the obedient Indian boy gave up his dream and started preparing for IIT-JEE.
7 years later…
It was the proudest moment for them. Their only son had secured a dream job with a dream package. Raj called up his old buddy Joe to give him the good news. ” Joe I am coming to States !” he yelled on the phone. “We can finally form our band – if I get some time off from the work”. “That would be awesome man ” said exuberant Joe ” I am anyway jobless and haven’t had any luck even with this fifth band…”
Joe had done a professional course in Guitar and composing music. He wanted to learn more but couldn’t afford it. In fact, he had funded the second semester of both the courses by doing a part-time job as a salesman in a music shop. He also taught guitar to wannabe rockstars and kept blogging about new bands.
” I told you this boy had no future ” chuckled Raj’s mom when he told her about Joe.
2 years later…
Joe came rushing to the hospital to see his friend. He had only met Raj once in past two years. ” Lack of sleep , workload and hypertension have caused this.” explained the doctor, ” He came frequently to meet the psychiatrist ” .
” I had told him to quit his job but he said he would only quit after he had enough money, ” said Peter. ” He was surely not happy with his life. He kept telling me about his dream , passion that he wasn’t able to fulfill.”
Joe confronted his friend after he was discharged from the hospital few weeks later. ” What is more important to you. Your money, you job or your dream , your passion , your health , your piece of mind ? ” “I don’t want another Peter session. I know what I am doing with my LIFE. I don’t want some salesperson who makes less than 10 percent of what I do , lecturing me on this shit” barked Raj.
Joe could see why he behaved like this. It wasn’t his success but his failure and frustration that was talking. He understood that Raj did not believe in himself. Was it his degree , his position in the company, his money that mattered the most to him ? Perhaps not but what mattered was what his parents, his peers and his society thought about him.
The biggest flaw of our society is that-
We measure the intelligence of a person by his qualification – his degree – his certifications.
“My uncles’ son is doing engineering so even I should do engineering. I want a raise in my pay so let me do this MBA even if it doesn’t give me any skills it will surely add some weight to my resume.” This is the sad mindset of every other Indian student.
Want to know what happened to Raj and Joe ?
3 years later…
Raj is making two hundred thousand dollars per year ! But he is still unhappy for his friends are making more than him.
Joe finally gave up his dream of forming a band. But instead, he has become a manager of this new band which won Grammy last year. The band is like a close family to him. It was Joe’s blog that got the band some recognition and launchpad for signing up deals with the record labels.
Raj hasn’t moved out of California since he got here, let alone vacation. But he is saving up for his future world tour which he might perhaps do when he is 60.
Joe travels to places with his band on tours. Oh yeah forgot to tell you Joe still makes less than Raj. He makes a hundred and fifty thousand dollars but does he care about that ? Hell no ! I hope even you don’t !!
Take a course because you really want to learn that not because it will look impressive on your resume.
Do not do things to please others. Please, yourself. It’s okay if you have still not figured out what you intend to do. Go out and keep looking for it. Some may take months to find it others might take years to do that but when you do find it – all and I mean ALL of it will make sense to you !
Stay hungry , stay foolish and believe in yourself.
– A passion seeker.