On many occasions during my childhood, I found myself pondering the question of what will I be when I grow up. No matter how many different options I thought of, there was only one that stuck with me: Entertainment. I’ve always been a goofy, humorous individual, mainly due to the enjoyment that I receive from seeing the expression of joy and happiness on the faces of others from laughter. Based on my personality and passion for entertaining others, I knew that a career in front on the camera, which would allow me to entertain a large audience, would be the best fit for me. But because landing a job in the entertainment industry is not a simple task, along with the fear of what family and friends would think about taking such a risk, I was hesitant in my choice.
I remember listening to the song “Lose Yourself” by Eminem and being captured by the statement he made in the beginning: “If you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip?” My life is the one opportunity I am given to seize what I want, which is being able to entertain others. This period in time is my only chance in the rest of eternity to capture my dream, so why would I ever let it slip? It’s for this reason why I am here at Penn State University pursuing my major in broadcasting.
Confucius, who was a Chinese philosopher, once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Work or labor is defined as “productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain.” I am not going into broadcasting for economic gain, but because I love to entertain others. In other words, I will be performing my passion, not actual work. The problem that persists is that there are too many people who wake up miserable each and every workday for years because they hate what they do. One reason is that people only pursue large economic gains. Sure, money can lead to happiness, but you have to ask yourself if it’s worth being unhappy while working to earn that money. Another reason is that people choose a career because others tell them to. My father could have became an artist, however his parents told him to choose another career because they believed he wouldn’t make any money. He listened to them, and that decision has remained his biggest regret. The bottom line is that whatever your job ends up being, it will consume a large chunk of your life, so I plan to fill that chunk with happiness.
This is why I believe in pursuing your passion.