PASSION OR MONEY............

Growing up, my dad always preached to me that, “find what you are good at and make sure you earn good money for it someday”. On the outside, that looked like one of the best piece of advice any father could pass on to a rather smart daughter and I couldn’t agree more. However, my rather childish mind decoded the message as, go to the best schools in Ghana, get the best grades, find a reputable company to work with and consequently, earn lots of money as a reward of all the education you had.
Fast forward the years, and I had graduated from the university with good grades, done my bit to serve my country as a national service personnel, gone ahead to earn a good job, started receiving good salary only to realize that, I still wasn’t content. Something was definitely missing from the equation. And that thing was PASSION.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked what I did in my company, loved the fact that I always had excess shopping money from my salary and I loved the fact that my job served as a learning opportunity to make up for what my university lecturers forgot to teach me .But I hated the fact that at a point in my career, every working day somehow felt like a punishment to me. I loved the fact that when my friends called and ask what I am doing now, I had an answer for them which did not include, job hunting. However, I hated the fact the old grandpa clock which hanged on the wall opposite my working desk had suddenly become my new best friend in the office and 5:00pm had suddenly become my happy hour. I hated the fact that I was gradually losing my spark and creativity and in the process losing track of who I wanted to be
I am passionate about things I believe in. I put myself into every dream I believe in and I believe, someday, I’d make a job out of following my dream. Passion would probably have been my first name if my dad had not been so bent on not giving me an English name but as my mum constantly reminds me, passion will not pay my bills. Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company will not accept wads of my passion at the end of every month for their services rendered. My mobile telecom providers will cut off their services before I finish explaining to them how passionate I am about staying in touch with friends, family and business correspondence.

Somehow, I find myself torn between passion and money….. Money, a physical entity used in everyday living and serves as a form of standard, determines how people will treat you and how you feel about yourself and others…… Passion, a non-physical entity which burns deep inside you like fire, shapes your vision and focus, determines your speed and direction in life and somehow, is the single most important element responsible for determining what motivates and drives you.
Passion, that thing, which makes a poet die broke knowing that he lived his life to the fullest, pouring out his soul on a piece of paper.

Money, what most people live their lives hoping their passion will translate into.
Passion, what most people have ignored in the quest to find money.
So the question on my mind this afternoon as I steal glances at my new best friend in the office, the old grandpa clock on the wall opposite my desk and trying to deserve my salary this month is, PASSION OR MONEY, which one should be my companion as I seek what I want on this journey of life. The tiny voice in my heart whispers and says Passion but my circumstances scream Money. And knowing myself, I am likely to go with my heart, hoping my circumstances will understand and somehow correspond to that decision
Her Prettyness