I spent my twenties chasing this advice like it was gospel. Quit stable jobs to pursue dreams that looked great on Instagram but fell apart under the weight of real-world logistics. Burned through savings, relationships, and my own confidence trying to turn every fleeting interest into a life purpose.
The breaking point came when I was explaining to my landlord why rent would be late again because my "passion project" wasn't generating income yet. I realized I'd been treating passion like a magic wand that would automatically transform into financial stability if I just believed hard enough.
Here's what the follow-your-passion crowd doesn't tell you: Most passions are hobbies dressed up as career advice. There's nothing wrong with hobbies. But building a life around something you love doing for two hours on weekends is often a recipe for making yourself hate that thing.
I learned the hard way that there's a difference between what energizes you and what you're actually good at. There's a difference between what you enjoy and what creates value for other people. And there's a huge difference between having passion for something and having the skills, discipline, and business sense to make it work professionally.
The breaking point came when I was explaining to my landlord why rent would be late again because my "passion project" wasn't generating income yet. I realized I'd been treating passion like a magic wand that would automatically transform into financial stability if I just believed hard enough.
Here's what the follow-your-passion crowd doesn't tell you: Most passions are hobbies dressed up as career advice. There's nothing wrong with hobbies. But building a life around something you love doing for two hours on weekends is often a recipe for making yourself hate that thing.
I learned the hard way that there's a difference between what energizes you and what you're actually good at. There's a difference between what you enjoy and what creates value for other people. And there's a huge difference between having passion for something and having the skills, discipline, and business sense to make it work professionally.