The true question which has been haunting my relationship has been, "money or happiness?" My partner believes that money is the most important factor in any career and in life in general. Graduating California State University with a degree in PoliSci and Communications. He claims he has no use for it in his career as a Real Estate agent, which up until 3 years ago has not served him any good. Although I support his choices, because after all it is his life and I want him to do what makes him happy, the same does not apply to me. I am constantly bombarded by the echoing taunts of what are you doing with your life? why do you choose a career that doesn't pay well? Go where the money is at? What about nursing? And although most are valid questions, the answers are simple. I enjoy dancing, it's what I want to teach and it's what I love to do. My heart belongs the arts, but it is so difficult for him to understand, because life to him is all business. I understand where he is coming from, it's his way of showing that he cares what I do in my life and the paths I choose, but he has to understand that I'm not about the money. Although I do have expensive tastes and very high standards, I love to do what I love to do more.
I am constantly bragged about his friends how they all have degrees, and 6 digit a year paying jobs, and how he can carry an intelligent conversation with them because they have degrees. Education is great, and I believe everyone should have one, but understand that it is time consuming, it's expensive, and can be over whelming. I've been in community college for the past 10 years still working on my degree, why it's taking so long? Well the first 3 years were spent undecided, trying different fields, exploring my life, then life started to get complicated and I had to take a few years off, and now I'm back to finish. So I understand the frustration of why it's taken me so long because I live it. But the point of the matter is that I'm on the right path now and I know what I want. To him, however, is a dead end. If I haven't made it as a dancer by now I'll never make it. It's not fame I'm looking for, it's the joy I get out of dancing and helping others explore the world of dancing. I love to teach, and I have a leader personality, I want to be a teacher. Shouldn't I be supported in what I want to do with my life, the way I support him.
After our conversation I started to think, having money would be great, lord knows I've had plenty of opportunities to live a wealthy life style, but my intuition leads the best of me. If I'm not happy, I'm not going to stay, I won't do something that I feel I will be miserable at. The moral of this rant and rave, was to not give up on your dreams. You may have to make adjustments and variations but do what makes you happy. Don't settle for corporate America because the money is good, because one day you'll look back and ask, "What did I do with my life?" "In whose life did I really make a difference?" Because after all the lives we change are the lives that carry on our memory, through them your legacy lives.
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