What do you follow: your head, or your heart?
We’re presented with this question at such a young age – we don’t even realize it. We don’t realize that we’re being presented with the ideals of our futures, that we’re making a decision that will, in fact, mold the rest of our lives. The decisions you make today will undoubtedly effect what happens tomorrow – there’s no getting around that. It’s called “the Butterfly Effect.” Every decision has a consequence, and whether those consequences are positive or negative…well, we don’t know until we’re on the cusp of them. It’s part of the chaos theory that makes life – makes everything – interesting. Is it scary? Yes. Is it exhilarating? Absolutely. But how to you learn how to handle it?
You don’t, because you can’t. Life is…a lot like the stock market. No one really knows where it’s going or what it’s going to do next. They kind of just sit there, watching the numbers, hoping for the best. It’s all an illusion. You go into life with nothing but instinct, and a propensity to go one of two ways.
So, do you follow your head, or your heart?
Some people do what’s considered “smart.” They go into business, banking, maybe accounting – and there’s nothing wrong with that. We need those people. We need lawyers and doctors and scientists and researchers. They’re a vital part of society. But they aren’t always passionate about what they do. But if you follow your heart…well, I’ve never seen an artist at work who wasn’t passionate about what he/she does. I’m not saying you have to be a painter or a scultpor to be passionate. You can work with words, you can work with media – you can work with people, places, designs. You can be an artist in any area of study. But to be a true artist…you have to have some drive, some passion.Â
You know, some people are lucky. What they’re passionate about ends up being the “smart” path. Like a young man who’s dedicated to helping the sick, or maybe a young woman who’s passionate about law. Or maybe politics – who knows, it could be anything – the point is, it seems like so many people want to organize us college students into categories. The dreamers and the doers. The idealists and the realists. But, you know what? The world isn’t black and white like that. It’s gray. And, let me tell you, that particular shade of gray is a beautiful color. It means we can do whatever we want. It means we’re free to follows our hearts and our minds. We won’t just dream, but attain. And why not? We have the potential, we have the drive.
Let me tell you a story. It happens all the time – someone will approach me, and, in casual conversation, ask me what my major is. When I say, “Television and Film Arts” – I get the usual confused look. They usually say something like, “Oh, that’s cool,” or, “Ah…interesting,” or, sometimes, “…so, what’s that?”. Then comes the inevitable question – what do I want to do with a degree in TFA? When I say I want to go into directing and screenwriting, I typically get another nod, and maybe a small smile. That’s when they usually change the subject. That’s it. End of story. They look at me – already – like I’ve made some huge mistake. But you know what? Following your passions is never a mistake. I was an English major before I got into TFA, and even then, I got some wide-eyed stares. But now? Now, it’s like they want to look at me and say, “Oh, honey,” (and yes, there’s always that patronizing use of honey), “What’s your back-up plan?” Back-up plan? Well, to be perfectly honest, I don’t really have one. The truth is, I don’t have room to consider a back-up plan right now because all of my attention is focused on my goal – getting into “the business.” The business of Hollywood, teleivision, and movies. I’m not saying having a back-up plan is admitting some sort of early defeat – of course it isn’t (it’s smart, actually, and they raise a fair point) – but the thing is, I know what I want to do, and I’m not going to let anyone try and talk me out of it.Â
Whatever you want to do – just do it. Whether you want a career in finance, healthcare, or the arts – do it. Make it happen, because no one else is going to do it for you. And if you’re one of those people who gets the wide-eyed look and the, “Oh, really?” when you say what you want to do, don’t let those people discourage you. You know in your heart what’s right for you. You can be a dreamer and a doer. Use your heart to find what matters, and use your head to pursue it.
The thing is, there’s no “right” way to go about life. You have to forge your own path if you want to make any progress. You have to get out there, find out what you love, and create a career out of it – because if you don’t love what you do, then what are you really doing with your life? Smiling from 9 to 5, pretending you’re happy? Maybe you are, maybe you’re not. Some people live for money – but most people, most people live for what they love: their family, their friends, their careers…this life is what you make it, and, let me tell you, if I’ve learned anything in the past twenty years, is that, too often, people let fear get in the way of their hopes and dreams. It’s time we trampled fear, isn’t it? Chase your dreams, pursue your passions. And you know what? Those people who doubt you? There’s no better feeling in the world than proving them wrong.Â
“You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.” – Jojo Moyes (Me Before You)