Last year my cousin called me. He is a graduate, he got a bank job with good salary. Everybody was congratulating him. But after 3 months he resigned. I was shocked. I asked him why. He said he is not happy, that he wants to be a photographer because that is his passion.
At that time I thought he was foolish. Why will you leave bank job in this Nigeria economy to go and do photography? But he insisted. He started his photography business. For the first 6 months, it was not easy. Sometimes he will go one week without client. He was borrowing money. His parents were angry with him.
But he continued. He was posting his work online, doing free photoshoots, learning new styles. Gradually people started noticing him. Now, one year later, he is making more than double what the bank was paying him. He is happy, he travels, he works on his own time.
On the other side, my elder sister loves fashion designing. She is very talented. But she refused to leave her teaching job because of financial security. She is afraid that if she leaves, she will not see money again.... So she is still teaching, but she is not happy....... Every morning she complains. She has passion but no courage to follow it.
These two stories taught me a lot. Following passion is risky but it can pay at the end if you are consistent........ Financial security is safe but sometimes it will make you feel stuck and unhappy.
So I think before you choose, ask yourself two questions..... Can you handdle the risk of followingg passion? Do you have small savinggs or suppoort to survivee while you builld it? If yes, follow passion. If no, hold your secure job and build passion as side hustle.
There is no correct answer.....yeah, It depends on your courage and your condition.
For me, I am still building. I have my small hustle for security, and I am not leaving my writing passion.
Image source AI