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The Cost of Passion


People who become successful doing things they are truly passionate about are genuinely so blessed, and should live their lives being grateful for every second. Because whether they know it or not, they’ve won a kind of  unspoken lottery - the chance to live a life of purpose, joy, and financial stability, all wrapped into one.

We were put on this earth to be happy. At least, that’s the belief many of us adhere to, because happiness brings contentment to our soul, it feels good and if that isn’t something to live for I’m not sure what else could be. But somewhere along the way, that pursuit of happiness became intertwined in expectations, obligations, and economic realities. The modern world has built a system where the gateway to the most enriching life experiences - travel, comfort, freedom - often requires financial success. And sadly, financial success is rarely aligns with the personal pursuit of happiness.

It’s not that lucrative careers are inherently wrong. Professions like finance, medicine, tech, and law are vital, respected, and can be deeply fulfilling—for the right people. But not everyone dreams of becoming a banker, engineer, or surgeon. The trouble is, those who don’t are often left with a painful choice: follow their passion and risk financial disparity, or follow the money and risk a lifetime of dissatisfaction. Almost all of us are pushed into this path of chasing elite careers, but in the process of building wealth we get blinded by the initial drive that led us into this journey in the first place. Because let’s be honest 9 times out of 10 we spend most of our life trying to build wealth  that we forget to use it for what it was meant for.

Yet there some people— - he lucky few - who are so passionate about what they do that it’s intoxicating.

Take someone like Lin-Manuel Miranda. When you listen to him speak, when you watch his work - it’s so clear that he’s deeply in love with what he does. He writes musicals, creates music, tells stories - and he’s worth over $80 million. That’s more than enough to live a life of comfort. But what makes it even more inspiring is that he got there by doing something he loves.

There’s something magical about people like him - artists, musicians, writers, painters - who’ve made their mark in the world through creativity. But as much as we idolize them, we have to admit the truth: they’re the exception, not the rule. The path to financial security is more often found in professions like tech, finance, or medicine - fields that, while incredibly important, aren’t always driven by personal passion.

That’s the harsh truth: the world isn’t set up to reward passion unless it can be monetized. And not everyone who’s talented or hardworking in the arts will get lucky enough to be seen. You could be the most brilliant singer or writer or painter - but if the right people don’t discover you, your passion might never become your livelihood. In creative professions, success is as much about luck as it is about talent.

And that’s a tragedy. Because everyone deserves to wake up in the morning excited about what they’re going to do. Everyone deserves to feel fulfilled by their work. But we’ve created a world where money decides who gets to live freely. We’ve made it so that you can’t really live life - travel, eat well, feel safe, feel free - unless you can afford it. And to afford it, more often than not, you have to give up on the things that make you feel most alive.

I love writing. But I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to live off it. That’s not because I don’t believe in myself - it’s because I know how this world works. And so, like many others, I’ve chosen a path that’s more “secure,” even if it isn’t the sunshine my soul wants to chase.

But deep down, I still believe in a better world. A world where people can follow their passions and still live good lives. A world where financial security isn’t only available to the lucky few. A world where art, music, literature, and creative joy are valued not just emotionally, but economically too.


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