Passion vs Opportunity

*Updated for 2024*

As you track from school to adulthood, eventually, you will have to ask yourself: “What do I want to do for the rest of my life? What am I passionate about? What opportunity is out there for those of us entering the workforce?”

They are sensible questions, really. You have to do something for a living, and a moment of self-reflection can have a lifetime of impact. Will that moment have a good impact or a bad one? That depends. How much did you contemplate what it is you would like to do? Whose advice, if any, did you listen to? What do you want more: money or job satisfaction? What interests do you have, and can you use them in day-to-day work? Are you willing to follow opportunity and not your dreams?

Hawaii was a place that was full of passion

You ever see people accepting some award, and in their acceptance speech, they tell you not to abandon your dreams? How about people who tell you to follow your passions? There are some who will tell you to go to college, and you’ll get a job making lots of money. Or others who advise you to get a job doing something you love and you’ll never work another day in your life.

That advice is neither wise nor prudent. You could work a job you love doing and make very little income. If you think about it, I’m sure you know someone who this applies to. I certainly do.

 

A real-world example

I REALLY love used bookstores – there is A LOT to love about them and an opportunity for me to get good books

 

There is a used book store not far from my house packed to the hilt with books EVERYWHERE. If there is a flat surface, there are books on it. It’s really something to see. It’s located in a very small strip close to an intersection that’s often overlooked when driving by. You know the kind; you know there are stores, but you have no clue what those stores are because the whole strip is a blur – it just doesn’t catch your attention. Periodically I stop in, peruse the history section, get a book or two (I love the American Revolution/ founding fathers time period the best), and don’t visit for a few months at a time generally. Yet it’s like a mainstay; always there, ready for people to come in and buy, sell, or even trade in books for store credit (seriously).

That used bookstore even has won the “best of” awards we have in our local area. I’m surprised, to be honest, that it has won. Not because of the place itself; it’s an awesome bookstore and it has a friendly environment. Its location is why I’m surprised. It is overlooked SO much. The whole strip, with all 9 stores, is in a bad spot. You know what they say about real estate: location, location, location.

And yes, I had to drive by it to get an accurate count of the number of stores in the strip because I surely didn’t know the number of stores – AND I frequent the bookstore. 

 

***The bookstore has since moved to a different location, probably due to the lease amount going up. Their new spot – while in a better location, is not necessarily better since it’s not known as a used bookstore. Time will tell, but I hope it thrives.***

 

All things considered, I’m glad that the wonderful bookstore is there and does as well as it does. There is a caveat, though: it BARELY stays afloat.

I talked with the owner some time ago and she told me she works another job just to keep the place open. Think about that for a moment: she doesn’t even make enough money at the bookstore to keep it open much less earn a living from it. She works another job just to keep the doors open at that wonderful bookstore in a poor location. Do you know what that is?

Passion. At its core, it is the very definition of following your passion.

I don’t want to seem like I’m coming down hard on the bookstore or the owner; I’m actually impressed with her dedication. I think it’s wonderful what she does and I applaud her supremely for it. I’m glad there are people out there who are very passionate about things and they are driven in their pursuits. I actually have a post in draft mode detailing the cost of writing – and this website, by extension – because it is a passion of mine. I’ll add the link when it is published. You can read the article here.

Here’s the thing, though: the woman is very aware of her passion, understands more than most the required dedication, and is honest with herself about how short following her passion ultimately advances her. Instead, she works another job in order to keep her passion (the bookstore) open. I suppose her husband’s income takes care of the household bills though I’m not sure; our conversations haven’t been that detailed. But I think we can conclude either that, or they are retired (she’s probably late 50s to early 60s), she makes great money at her other job (I’m doubtful of that, though), or their bills are relatively low. Truthfully, it is likely to be a combination of a few things.

 

Why is this important

 

All in all, I only bring it up because while it may not be a deal breaker for senior citizens, it’s paramount for younger people. They have households to support, kids to raise, careers to build, and these are vitally important. It seems senior citizens have more time to sacrifice, given their life situation.

Following your passion has the potential to net you a tremendous amount of money, freedom, enjoyment, and gain. It also has the power to keep you in the poor house, broke, wanting more, and thinking about why the advice you heard and followed didn’t pan out.

The overwhelming majority who follow their passion (for work, that is) fall in the latter category. Don’t believe me? Simply think back to all the people you are aware of who have “made” it by following their passion, then recall the sheer number of people who have failed miserably at something. It was likely a passion. Just from memory alone I can recount scores of people who had passions that led them nowhere, jaded from the promises of successful people who have more influence than they should.

How many aspiring musicians have made it big time? What about dancers, sports lovers, or even video gamers? The examples are plentiful, and here’s the truth: you have been lied to.

But don’t just take my word for it. I wouldn’t. I’m following my own passion with this very post. Instead, check this post out for more.

Forbes writes about it as well.

 

My personal favorite, however, is Mike Rowe and his take on it.

Speaking of Mike Rowe, I recall reading most of the owners in Dirty Jobs were millionaires, and not because they followed their passion. No, it’s because they followed the opportunity afforded them and brought passion with them. It may not have been the same passion before they started, but a passion to work and succeed is absolutely paramount to winning in the career field.

 

The Exceptions

There are exceptions to every rule

Now I fully realize I’m coming down hard on following your passion and that, indeed there are some who actually are successful. In order for me to be fair, I’m presenting counterarguments; that is, some who have made it big by following their passion.

For the life of me, I can’t find an article I remember some time back that essentially said those who go the university route, get a 4-year degree, and follow the “gotta go to college to get a good job” advice often have tremendous difficulty accepting constructive criticism and genuine failure. The article went on to say big tech companies were starting to seek and hire those who had dropped out of college to pursue (their passions) with a singular focus on what they liked. In short, they knew what it was to fail, to experience setbacks, and yet continue on having grown from those setbacks.

The very fact those who follow their passions and have succeeded are celebrated demonstrates their rarity. I wish, in many ways, it wasn’t so.

I don’t watch much TV; if I watch 2 hours a week, I’m lucky. I’m a rather busy person, and between work, family, research, working on my house, and trying to balance my time (website and NOW – in 2024 – podcast included!), I’m surprised I get anything else done. But even though I have very limited time I have found ways to write for this site. It’s a labor of love; a passion of mine, if you will.

Thing is, I don’t make any money from it, nor do I expect to in the near future (a guy can hope, though, am I right?). I have to build things up slowly, creating great content for people to consume and do it consistently before I can ever expect to get significant traffic. Even then, I am not guaranteed to do well. Perhaps my content is well done, just not enticing. Maybe it’s polished, professional, and well-presented, but if unpopular and unread, it’ll get nowhere.

You see, I’m well aware of what the limits of my passion are. I really would like to see this take off and be successful.

But there is no guarantee. I could find myself writing for years with no obvious monetary reward. For me, I like to write so I can set that aside. Sure, I’d like to get rewarded and recognized, but at the core, I appreciate writing for what it is. I fully realize writing for this website is a passion I enjoy.

And there’s the rub: I enjoy writing, but if I didn’t have passion, it would flounder quickly. (Take note, anyone who may want to start/make money from a website; without passion it’s likely not going to happen).

Oh, and the same could be said for the podcast, too. It’s true podcasts are consumed by others who would not read an article, and even though the content is good, it still isn’t a guarantee. I have hopes, but it won’t do to simply rely on hope.

So what, if you shouldn’t follow your passion, should you do?

 

Follow opportunity instead

Listen for the knock and walk through the door of opportunity

There is an underlying principle which girds the opportunity argument: supply and demand.

That seems so simple, but it’s quite true. Let’s develop a case for the above, and it’ll make more sense.

Currently, there is a shortage of skilled labor in this country – and it’s growing.

Here are a few more articles to give depth to the point, and you can check them out by clicking here, here, and here.

I could talk for hours about why there is a skilled labor shortage, but that’s another time for a different post.

Instead, I’d like to present the case that there is a shortage, and that simply means demand. Therefore, the demand is higher for those coming up in the skilled trades, and they, the skilled tradesmen being the supply, are seeing the wages reflected accordingly.

Contrast that with the market saturation of college degrees. Long gone are the days when simply having a degree aided you in a job search. With the pervasive thought, “you have to go to college to get a good job” being the norm, college degrees are EVERYWHERE, flooding the market and driving down wages. Check it out.

And again, here.

I could go on and on, but I’m not trying to win an argument about why college degrees are undervalued; rather, I’m merely asserting there are far more degrees now than, say, 40 years ago. Because of that, there is a lot of supply for the demand, and the wages (and jobs) reflect that, too.

A personal observation, one I’ve seen way too much, comes from those who went to college. Many believe those in the skilled trades make too much money. They compare their own financial situation against those who have little to no debt, earn a good wage PLUS benefits, and believe because the tradesman didn’t go to college they are inferior. It’s an experience many have dealt with, myself included.

This isn’t across the board, but it happens more often than it should. What makes it so unfair is it’s patently untrue. I have met some brilliant and creative craftsmen and some really clueless tools with a degree. Likewise, I’ve known some really unintelligent people in the trades and some off-the-chart geniuses in the white-collar world. What has really happened is those in the trades followed opportunity, and they have come out on the other side better off. No area of the spectrum remains untouched.

 

Conclusion

 

All things considered, opportunity remains the largest single variable out there for success, at least the way most would define success, anyway. When case studies emerge, and we see individuals who are millionaires, it’s always interesting to note what exactly those people have to say. I don’t mean those who get to shine in front of a bunch of people accepting an award and giving some abstract speech about passion. The ones I speak of are the silent type; unassuming, full of work ethic, eyes open for opportunity, and live out the mantra “carpe diem.”

So when it comes to passion, don’t follow it; it may lead you to despair what you enjoy. Instead, bring your passion with you and capitalize upon the opportunity around you. Keep your eyes open, listening for the distinct sound of opportunity knocking, and throw open the door to possibilities.