Choose careers based on passion, not money

Money vs. Passion—an internal conflict each person must face at some point in their life. On one hand, we hear parents, friends, or relatives telling us to be realistic and find a job that pays well. On the other hand, there are those who tell us being happy with our job is enough satisfaction for our lives and even the secret to success. This can cause feelings of confusion. So, which is more important, money, or happiness? My answer would be happiness. Why be stuck doing a job that I hate for the rest of my life? Will the money I bring in exceed the joy I will find? I think being content with my life is more important than my total income.     

If I was able to choose something to live for, I would not choose money. Hopefully you would not either. We should choose our family, or our future family, love, or happiness. We only have a short time to make the most of living in this world, so why spend it devoted only to making money? Sure, having millions of dollars might be one way to spend a lifetime, but at what personal cost? It’s wrong and unfulfilling to only live for money simply because, like other materialistic items, it becomes useless in the end. To live for the best parts of life, like family, should mean more than a person’s financial accomplishments when they die. Being happy and living for the things that make us happy, is more rewarding at the end of the limited time we have. Putting happiness before money can also transform us into better people, like in  “The Pardoner’s Tale” we read in senior English class this year. We can see how money can lead a person to become full of greed and selfishness. I think we would feel more accomplished if we truly did pursue the best parts of life.

Sure, having money is nice and buying a new pair of shoes makes you happy at first, but what happens when those shoes don’t fit anymore? They can’t make you happy forever. Eventually they’ll wear out, and it will be time to buy something else. This begins an endless cycle. All material possessions are temporary, but long-term happiness comes from the things money can’t buy. Things like sleepovers with our best friends, the football games on Friday night, or working a puzzle with a grandparent. Activities like these don’t wear out and can fill our hearts with good memories. Pursuing a career in something we will love and enjoy, will simply lead to our best work. Waking up each morning happy to attend our jobs we love will make us more capable of doing our job well, which can help further our career faster.     

Overall, I think it is important to have money for yourself, family, and home, but money should not be what motivates us to choose a career path. We should choose a career path that will make us happy for years to come because then, no matter the amount, the money will be enough.