In the capitalist society that we live in people are often forced to choose between doing what they love and pursuing what will make them the most money. At the same time, we’re urged to live a life of no regrets but I could argue that the biggest regret is not doing what you love, not living the life that you wanted to live. So how do we combat this and how do we try to do what we love and still live sustainably?
The first step in this would be to weigh your options. I decided to pursue a Psychology major as opposed to an Art major because I first looked at the costs. While I had a passion for both art and psychology I realized that I could still create the art I loved without a college degree, but I wouldn’t be able to practice psychology without one. In cases such as this, it’s also important to weigh your time. Is it possible for you to fulfill a double major, or can you wait on one major as opposed to not waiting on another? A good example of this is to let’s say pursuing a more money-driven degree and then use that money to then pursue the degree that you originally wanted or wanted more. The fact of the matter is to make sure you get your priorities right so you don’t waste valuable time, money, and energy being unhappy.
It’s important to think about what’s your priorities are in life. An article from Forbes found that more than half of Americans are unhappy with their jobs and an unhappy job often leads to an unfulfilled life. Think about it like this, you spend the majority of your life working, and even if you don’t take that into account you spend at least a good 20 to 25 years building your education so that you can do said job. So make that job something that you’re proud of, make that job something that you are happy to tell your children about. The last thing you want is to be ashamed of the job you spent thousands of dollars getting a degree for.
While living the life that you’re proud of can seem almost impossible in the world that we live in. Note that you have to become the change you hope to see in the world, but above all else make sure to put yourself, your physical health, and your mental health above what society expects of you. Because it’s your life you’re living, and no one else can live it for you but you, you write the story of your future, I hope to read it sometime.