PASSION FOR POTTAGE

Money is a defence, but it can also be a distraction. Money is the simple reason many have withdrawn from the passionate pursuits of their youth, it is the path many have taken in departure from their purpose.

Ask little children what they want to become when they grow up, and in their innocence, they'll name all the wonderful professions they admire. At that stage of their lives they can care less how much a soldier makes an hour or the odds of making it as a footballer.

As they grow older and begin listening to their teachers and competing with their peers, they start learning about which professions have the best prospects and what exactly it would take to make it big in the career of their choice.

It is at this stage that some put a white collar on their passion to make it more professional. Those who wanted to be artists decide to study architecture, the writers end up in law and those gifted in handcrafts choose to pursue engineering.

This marks the beginning of the many compromises they'll make along the way, as the next one awaits them at the University Matriculation Examination, where they'll have to decide whether pursuing that dream profession is worth staying another year at home.

It's an easy decision for most, and they take whatever course is available. After all, it's better to be a graduate at anything than to be a perpetual candidate of the best thing.

The fresh air on campus and the effervescence of freedom they now feel for the first time awakens their dormant passion and liberates them from the shackling white collar that had temporarily imprisoned it.

They can now be artists, writers and singers again, whilst they study a course they're not sure they'll ever practice.

They hone their craft while on campus and?build a following. They invest in their passion, marry it to tech and the new couple moves to cyberspace, seen by everyone on social media, everywhere in the world.

They are now campus royalty, the influencers of their time. But four years goes too quickly, and they have to give up their crown as they proceed to the labour market to face the real world without the safety net their pocket money provided.

Would the real world be as welcoming? Only time will tell.

Months after graduation and they realize that their passion must now pay the bills. They have a degree and they need money, so once again they're tempted to make a compromise.

Out comes the certificate! Passion is on pause for now, it'll resume when they start earning to support it.

The job hunt doesn't take long, interviewers can sense their entrepreneurial spirit and business-minded employers move fast to sign up such talent.

But as soon as the new career begins, it becomes clear that they were not made for this. Loud chants of "this job isn't fun" are quickly silenced by whispers of "But it pays the bills."

The fire of passion still burns, but it's now only good for lighting a candle on a few fun Friday nights.

The earnings never grow big enough to support the pursuit of their passion because they now live the lifestyle of a pop star, even though they're working in a glorified pop shop.

They took this small job for the money and now instead of using the proceeds to pursue their passion as they planned to, they're going after a big job to enable them pay the big bills their big boy lifestyle is quickly accumulating.

Doggedness and desperation collide and deliver a dream job, now money will never be a problem again. This is it!

That's until they can no longer stomach their job dissatisfaction, especially when they see those they outshone on campus now beaming brighter and chuckling in contentment to the cameras.

The thought of what could have been drives them to an unplanned resignation. It's now time to truly pursue that passion, no matter what it takes, how much or how long, they're finally prepared to bootstrap, and no longer shy to begin in the basement.

But has the window of opportunity passed them by? Are they a generation too late or has the plane of time flown them past their prime?

The only way to know for sure is to give it a go. So, they step out into the sun, but the spotlight seems to get farther and farther with every step they take towards it.

It gets harder and more expensive, good results are few and far between. The fire of passion needs more fuel to keep burning; but then, they make the "wise business decision" to use the remaining fuel money to invest in someone else's passion instead.

This is the final compromise.

Dear dreamer, resist the temptation to trade tomorrow's conglomerate for today's comfort, the compromise is not worth its cost. Don't let your circumstances cage your dream and don't let people push you out of your purpose.

Add patience and persistence to passion and keep its fire burning, even if it can only light up your own life for now. Play

To your success,

Olayinka A. Williams?

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