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Follow a Passion- – NEED ADVICE

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  • This topic has 3 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Anonymous.
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  • November 5, 2018 at 10:38 am #235547
    Katya
    Participant

    My question: Do I let my fear take over? Do I say no to this amazing offer and go back to the safe 9-5 out of fear that it may not work out and I will owe someone money I don’t have? I want to say YES. I want to take a risk for my dream. But I am terrified. Is it true what they say that great things lay on the other side of fear? Please help!

    I was laid off earlier this year from a 9-5 I’d been rotting away at for almost 4 years. I loved the people I worked with, but found no joy in my work; it was mundane and I felt my light dimming. The layoff was honestly a blessing. Scary, but I am one for knowing everything happens for a reason.

    I took the Summer to figure out what direction I wanted to go next. I am a creative and always made art for fun; commissioned portraits, paintings and sketches for fun, etc. and gave them away as gifts mostly. It was always my go-to as far as a place my mind could go to break away from everyday stresses.

    The layoff enabled me to be somewhere on a random Friday afternoon I would otherwise not have been. I met someone who ended up turning into a customer (he commissioned me to draw a portrait of his son). This stemmed into him wanting to invest in me.

    In the meantime of meeting him, I finally got over my fear of putting my art out there and created a website to sell prints of my work – it felt like my calling had finally come. What I feel I am best at and what brings me joy was finally happening.

    His investment feels like a true way to put EVERYthing out there. It will enable me to make art ALL day and put everything I have into selling. My fear is the income I will receive; there is no way for me to know what will happen within the next year. An investor invests because they believe in you and believe they will get a return at the end of it all.

    My question: Do I let my fear take over? Do I say no to this amazing offer and go back to the safe 9-5 out of fear that it may no work out and I will owe someone money I don’t make? I want to say YES. I want to take a risk for my dream. But I am terrified. Is it true what they say that great things lay on the other side of fear? Please help!

    November 5, 2018 at 12:30 pm #235583
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Katya:

    I would assess the risk in following your passion.

    If you don’t have children to take care of, if it is only you that you have to feed and shelter, if you have enough money to  pay the rent and bills for a few months, and if your passion does not require taking out a loan/ investing much money in, why not?

    anita

    November 5, 2018 at 2:06 pm #235591
    Katya
    Participant

    Thanks so much for your reply, Anita!

    I do not have anyone to take care of outside of myself, which is good. This person would basically be paying me a salary to live off of in order to make are full time. My fear lays in not ever having put my all into it before, therefor I cannot project what my income would be.

    I am very grateful for the opportunity having landed in my lap. I know a lot of people wanting to start their own business but cannot because they can’t find an investor to help. This person came to me because they believe in me, so again, I am very grateful. I know it is risky because it is sort of like taking out another loan. As much fear as I have over that, I feel like my greater fear may be in going back to the safe job and forever wondering what could have happened.

    November 6, 2018 at 4:13 am #235659
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Katya:

    If this is a genuine and trustworthy investor, and if you plan your next moves, maybe with the help of a professional advisor or counselor in the business (?),

    if you know the risks and figure out at what point, if things don’t work out, you will abandon the venture (before the loss is too great)-

    then go for it. I can’t imagine you having peace of mind having a real opportunity and giving it up for a job you dislike. The regret would bother you a lot, I imagine.

    anita

    November 9, 2018 at 6:31 am #236113
    Gav
    Participant

    Hi Katya,

    Take a step back from the fear for a moment and imagine this was someone else in this position.  What advice would you give them?  Say you take the opportunity and in 12 months time you decide it doesn’t work out… what will you have lost?

    For me, the one fear I have is looking back with regret.  Regret that I didn’t take chances to follow my passions and see where they can lead.  I don’t think you can ever regret giving something like this a try.  If its your passion, once you commit to it, your natural drive and enthusiasm for something you love will carry you to find new ways of monetizing your skills and it could turn into the most amazing career, in ways you never even imagined.

    Whatever your occupation you will be spending a considerable % of your life doing it.  Give yourself every opportunity to spend that time doing something you love and that resonates with who you are.  Be brave.  Believe in yourself.  No regrets.

    I would love to know what you decide and how it goes for you.

    Gav

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