Passion vs Money battle! Who will win? -By Shravya GNITS Hyderabad

Passion vs money is a topic I often find people contemplating over. In fact, I have spent sleepless nights pondering about my passion for writing and whether I can make a living out of it. Before jumping into this never-ending debate, let’s see what passion actually means. The classic definition one would give would be that passion is a strong feeling towards a person or a thing, says Wikipedia. I think many would agree with it. 

Is money a necessity?

Many of you might have already noticed that Wikipedia is asking its viewers for donations. A group of people working passionately to provide neutral information regarding every possible thing or subject, for free. I cannot imagine my childhood without Wikipedia. Can you? All my projects, assignments were compiled with help from that site. So, why are they urging people to donate? They want to continue their passion and let their work be known and used by many. 

Now, you may ask me, why am I bringing this up? What’s the connection? There is one. Passion alone won’t guarantee you a comfortable life. Yes, I have heard many people say that passion will provide you with a living. But before believing anything of that sort, you should be asking yourself this question, “How long will it take me to start making a living out of this?”. The reason is very simple, practical and bitter. You need money to live in this world. Accept this and try to align your thoughts in this direction. There are commitments that all of us have made as functional units of this society and to no surprise they involve money. 

Convert passion into a living

You might have a passion, but converting it into a living requires a lot of perseverance. Ask yourself whether you have that in you to stand up again and again after every fall. My passion is to write. I find tranquillity in penning my thoughts. The joy of seeing my thoughts on a paper gives me a high like nothing else. I like creating an imaginary world with different characters - demons, gargoyles, werewolves, vampires and all kinds of paranormal creatures. I want my readers to know that they deserve to escape from the real world for a while,  marvel at the imaginary world I create and get back to their problems with a clear and focussed mind. I try to convey to them some facts, that people tend to forget during the course of their lives. With the characters I bring to life, I try to highlight real-world problems and also let them know that they are not alone. 

And I want to convert this passion into a living. I see some authors and writers shine and I ask myself “When will my time come to shine?”. Until then, I have to work hard, put in all my efforts into achieving my dream goal. However, I don’t want to limit myself to one passion. Why draw a line when I know what exists beyond will give me more?

The ultimate decision 

I will choose passion but not an irrational behaviour and mindset. I will convert my passion into a living but until then I will keep another options open. I will make myself financially independent before I try taking the risk and jump in the ocean of my passion. So, when it comes to the question of passion vs money, I will ask “Why not both?”. I hope this will solve the confusion in your mind. For me, all that matters is that I find something to do that will make me happy and satisfied. Is it the same for you too? The ultimate task is to find the right thing to do. Until then, I’m not ready to accept anything else.

However, ask yourself “What gives me the high? Is it money or passion?”. If it is money that gives you a kick, then just go for it because earning money is your passion. In the end, you are trying to find passion in whatever you are trying to do. So, if it is something you like to do, go for it. Just keep track of your plans for your passion and plan your life accordingly. 

I wish you all the best and hope that you achieve all your dreams and goals. There will always be a fight between passion vs money but in the end, do not forget to be satisfied and happy with whatever you do. That is the most important thing!

This article was submitted as an entry to Become an Author 2.0 with Dare2Compete.