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Following Your Dreams vs. Following Money

Can you have it all?

By Jada MoutonPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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When you were a kid, everyone told you to follow your dreams. To do what you were passionate about. Sometimes what were passionate about doesn't necessarily pay the bills. For a lot of people, this is a reality we all face. Now, I'm a millennial (yes, I know), and growing up we were always told we could have it all, just because we wanted it. I discovered growing up that you can't have it just because you want it. So were thrown into adult-hood or "adulting" as we call it, with no experience and no actual education about the world and how it works. There's certainly no financial classes that are mandatory in school (which there should be) so a lot of us are lost when it comes to money. All of my friends in college are so stressed about money. It's an uncomfortable subject. A lot of us end up working for money for the rest of our lives, throwing away what we truly are passionate about because the reality for a lot of people is; passion doesn't pay bills. So what a lot of us do it end up in boring jobs that we aren't passionate about but pay well. Can you have it all?

I'm going to get into a little about me. As a child, my parents said I could be anything. That the world was mine for the taking. When I graduated high school I decided I would live with my father in Hawaii and go to cosmetology school. Once I finished cosmetology school I started doing makeup for films and music videos. I found out that this is what I wanted to do. This was it. My dream.

Fast forward a bit and I discover there is a school in LA that teaches exactly what I wanted to learn about the film industry. I move from Hawaii to LA by myself, I'm living on my own for the first time, I was excited to start this new journey. I found out the world wasn't really mine for the taking.

Looking back, I wish someone had taught me a bit more about money because I had no idea what budgeting was. I was unsure of what to do about finding a stable job and working in the industry. I've had all my family members telling me to get a job outside of my industry like waitressing or bartending and while I respect those jobs, I feel like I am at a crossroads with passion and money.

What does one do when faced with a situation like this? Well I say sometimes you have to work hard and play later. If you are truly passionate about something, you won't ever lose sight of it. Don't let yourself be distracted or swayed by others' opinions. A lot of us forget we are in control of our own lives. That dream you had as a kid? That is yours and yours alone. No one can take that from you.

Educate yourself. If you are not sure about money and how to handle it, reach out to your friends, parents, even your grandparents.

It's okay to be frustrated, angry even. Life is never fair. There is a quote from the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad and it says "You see, true learning takes energy, passion, and a burning desire. Anger is a big part of that formula, for passion is anger and love combined." Always have that passion for knowledge. Don't give up on yourself. You CAN have it all.

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