I’m probably not alone when I say that there came a moment in my life when I had to stop romanticizing the future. The moment when I realized that, chances are, I will probably not be an astronaut who gets to roam mars or the moon. I always dreamed about doing these things. I fantasized over digging that flagpole into the moon’s surface. I always wondered what it would feel like. Would it be smooth like sand or grainy like tiny pebbles? But the sad truth is that I would never know.
I could have tried to make it happen. I could have enrolled in an astronomy program and maybe worked my way up to NASA. But I didn’t even try. Why? Because I was too afraid to take a chance.
In fact, so many people give up their dreams and quit their passions because they can’t afford to do otherwise. Instead of pursuing art or writing, they go into a scientific or medical field. Whether it’s because of financial stress or insistence from our parents, something happens to us, and we just agree to make the switch. We don’t really feel like it’s a compromise. If anything, we convince ourselves that by letting go of our “silly” ideal life imaginations, we become adults. Our heart might taunt us, but our brain assures it that this is the right – and mature – thing to do.
But what happens next? You graduate and get a great job as a nurse or as a businessperson at a huge corporation. At first you’re thrilled! Classes are over and assignments are a thing of the past … hello real world! And, when the money starts rolling in, you’ll be confident that you have most definitely made the right choice.
Until a year passes. Then two. Then 10.
When life falls into a routine and the glory of income is replaced with the cost of everyday life, and when that 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift feels like a 9 a.m. to forever, you’ll wonder where you went wrong and why you feel so…depressed.
Think about it, out of all of the adults you know, how many love waking up to work in the morning? How many feel the same way about Friday evening as they do about Monday morning? I’ll bet it’s not that many. I’ll also bet that it’s those same people who were forced to play it safe.
Let’s take a real-life example: Luis D. Ortiz. If the name sounds familiar, then like me, you’re probably a fan of the show Million Dollar Listing New York. Luis was one of three real estate agents on the Bravo hit, as well as one of my favorite characters.
Luis was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and he left the island during his teens because he wanted more out of life. He enrolled at the New York Film Academy and studied directing, but somewhere in between fily and directing he made his way into real estate. He was very good at what he did and seemed to be living the perfect NYC life. Luis was always extremely passionate and dedicated to his job, even when it meant carrying more personal stress. During the last season of the show, he began to show signs of pain.
He was not happy. Despite his financial and professional success, he felt that something was missing in his life. At first he thought he needed a life companion, but by the end of the season, Luis put all the signs together and listened to his heart. He realized that his pain was caused by real estate, and quit his job.
Now, I have never met Luis in real life, but I think it’s safe to say that making such a big decision probably wasn’t that easy. To put all your hard work and professional reputation in a box and start over is a tremendously scary thing to do. It takes courage, but more importantly, it takes loving yourself.
Luis is currently writing a novel, but is unsure of what he is going to do with his life after that. He’s taking his time, which is a good thing. A second chance is a very privileged thing to have, no one should rush it.
I guess the takeaway from all of this is that there is really no right choice when it comes to your career. Following your dream is scary, but that’s not to say playing it safe will be rewarding. Of course, the opposite is also true, and some might realize that a career in medicine is the best thing that ever happened to them.
We should always remember that no matter how bad life gets, we have the opportunity to change things up, even if we feel like we can’t. Luis Ortiz had one of the best careers in the city, but he wasn’t happy. He put his personal well-being first, before money, before success, and before contacts. I learned so much from Mr. Ortiz’s bold move and wanted to pass it along. Too many people struggle in life because of unhappiness when the answer is right in front of them.
As Elle Woods said: