Wednesday, March 10, 2010

How You Know You're Following Your Passion

I work in Lower Manhattan & almost every weekday morning, I'm on the subway to go to work. Riding the subway is a unique, interesting experience. Some mornings you get free entertainment, an opportunity to buy candy bars, hear some interesting conversation and/or see some captivating people. It's one of those things I intend to do as much as possible, even once things start taking off in my career.

I feel like doing it is a way to keep yourself grounded & appreciate what you have. Not to mention the inspiration you can get from this ritual & it being cheaper than always taking cabs. I took MARTA in Atlanta but it has nothing on the NYC subway system.

This morning, I was sitting on the train as usual. What was different is that this guy in a suit carrying a style of bag you normally see lawyers with as well as what looked like a law book walked on. He stood in front of me & held the pole above my seat. He then opens the book, holds it in his other hand & starts reading. Since I always notice evidence of lawyers & law students on trains, I peered at the cover; it was a Constitutional Law book.

Two thoughts struck me:

1. Amazement that this guy could fully open & read the law book using one hand, hold the pole & not once stumble or lose his balance on the moving subway, even when we were traveling faster later on. I know I couldn't.

2. I LOVE doing what I do in the entertainment business. I love the fact that I can wear jeans & sneakers to work as well as be truly honest in doing things. I love that my opinion matters & that people listen to what I have to say. Even though I'm not making all that much doing it, I feel a true passion for it. The workday generally flies by, I have great co-workers to talk to & even if I'm not that busy, the day still moves on. I honestly look forward to going to work in the mornings & usually WANT to get up in the morning.

When I see lawyers on the subway, I'm happy not to be them. They usually look miserable & don't seem to have the passion I have for what I do. This is especially true w/younger lawyers.

I was struck by the fact that I'd be completely miserable if I were working in a law firm & having this calm, content feeling is great (finances be damned). I really think more people should figure out and follow their passion; the minute you start behaving like "a grown up" or tell others to do it & stop following "silly dreams", it means your soul has died.

People like that aren't able to see possibility & would rather whine about being miserable than take steps to change anything wrong in their lives. They really piss me off; if you aren't bothering to improve your own life, then don't whine to me about how bad you have it. Don't begrudge people of their happiness when you refuse to make yourself happy, okay?

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