Why I chose to follow my passion over money

There was this young man in Seattle who was passionate about computers. In school, he would spend most of his free time writing programs and figuring out how to make the computers do interesting things. This tech-genius grew up to become one of the richest men in the world. He is none other than Bill Gates - the man who dared to follow his dreams and chose to go with my passion over money.

I was really fascinated when I heard this ‘Bill Gates’ success story. It inspired me to follow my dream - the dream to become an entrepreneur. And, more than 10 years after following my dream, I am the proud founder of my own company - ProofHub. A company that has helped big names like Nasa and Disney solve their complex project management troubles. It all happened when I decided to kick my secure job aside and chose to follow my passion.

“Want to become a leader who gets things done? Start using ProofHub.”

But, today I see people struggling to have the courage to live their dreams and work for something they truly believe in. Instead, I see a generation of workers who don’t really have the courage to follow their passion because they want a stable 9-6 job to run the errands. And, it really saddens me. That’s not how you grow.

I’m writing this post to inspire people to look beyond just 9 to 6 - follow your passion. And, if your dreams are not motivating you enough to follow your passion, here are some of the other reasons that might -

Work doesn’t seem like work

No matter how well paying your job is, after a while, you will feel the boredom if you are not passionate about it. On the other hand, when you are working on something you are passionate about, work doesn’t feel like work. You will always wake up excited to work hard, to push yourself more and to create something you’re proud of. When you are working for money, you are more interested in completing the hours you’re being paid for.

When I was young and just started off, I took up a job that was giving me a handsome pay. Everything went well for the first few months, then with each passing day, work was nothing less than a burden. I dreaded it - every single day. And, I realized that my work isn’t bringing any value to life - neither mine nor others. This is when Life taught me the lesson I would never forget - money is NOT the door to joy and abundance; passion is.

There are no raises for fulfillment

You might be getting those yearly appraisals that can help you move into a bigger house or buy a fancier car. But are you satisfied within? What about your childhood dream to open a restaurant? What about that start-up idea you have in your mind from last 5 years?

There will always be a void in your heart that no hike or appraisal can fill. As cliche` it might sound, finding fulfillment and pride in your work should be the top priority than going for a high paying job. Just ask yourself what will you do with all the money if you are not fully happy internally?

Money doesn’t buy happiness

When Richard Branson walks into the room, people are impressed by how many dreams he has accomplished, not by his money. Money is important but it is just one spoke in the wheel and a wheel with one spoke won’t get you far.

Walking into a bar and shouting out loud that you have a million dollars in your bank account, no one will turn around. But, if you walk into the same bar and tell people how you made your dream come true, and people will stand on their chairs and cheer for you.

Success will kiss your feet

You might fill your bank account with lots of money by choosing a safe career. But, your heart will never be satisfied. There will always be a sense of incompleteness. Whereas when you are following your passion, you may not earn fat cheques in the beginning but sooner or later, destiny will reward you for your courage and hard work.

When you put your heart, soul, blood, and sweat for something you’re passionate about, the universe conspires success for you. Success always comes to those who are courageous enough to take the path less traveled.

There will never be a ‘what if’

“What if I quit my job and become a chef?”

“What if I had left my cubicle and did photography?”

Do you know that the number one regret people have on their deathbed is not being courageous enough to fulfill their dreams? Regret is the cost of not following your heart and spending the rest of your life wishing you had. It’s like a slow poison that will kill you slowly and gradually. As they say, nothing is worse than wasting your life doing something you never liked. So, choose wisely.

Even if you decide to continue your passion from where you left, I’m sure you’ll be a happier person. And if you’re happy and hardworking, money will follow itself.

We are blessed with just one life. Live this one-time opportunity working for yourself and building your dreams. It was hard for me to go with what I’m passionate about, but I have not regretted my decision ever since. Take my advice before it’s too late. It’s high time you should choose your passion, not something else. And, once you choose your path the journey is going to be an exciting one - trust me on this. Check out this list of lessons I’ve learned during this journey that began when I chose to follow my passion over a regular career option.

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About Author:

Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder of ProofHub - a leading project management and collaboration software. A passionate leader, Sandeep is always on the lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams and companies. He is also a featured writer on LinkedIn and contributing author at YourStory. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Also follow our company page @ProofHub to get the recent updates about our tool, published articles, motivational quotes & presentations.

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