Doing things you enjoy will make your life much more enjoyable, I promise. Take it from someone who worked all of those terrible jobs you hear about in high school. Cleaning, sweeping, making frozen custard, construction, sales... you get the picture. Luckily, during those dark days, I was able to find my little spot of sunshine.
Playing music and being a clown got me through those treacherous teenage years. Being on a stage making people laugh, seeing them have an “OMG” moment, or simply enjoying not being on the couch that night is what encouraged me to do what I love.
Now that I am out of school, graduated college, and have a full-time professional job, I realize that you have to do what you want to do. Happiness doesn’t revolve around our careers, income, “things,” or anything else that is required. I’m not saying these parts of life don’t hold water because it definitely makes life richer if you enjoy your responsibilities, but don’t base who you are on them.
My father has always given me great advice, including, “The world will always need you, no matter what you decide to do.” That really resonated with me. It felt somewhat pointless being a clown and a musician because I knew I couldn’t turn it into a career or anything. The feeling it gave me made every second worth it. I stayed focused and persistent, practiced almost daily and, eventually, started a band that was signed to multiple international labels, touring with big punk acts, releasing albums, and selling more merch than I can remember. Seeing my band’s patch on peoples’ vests or a bumper with our sticker made me realize what he was said was true. I didn’t know what was going to happen, and I definitely was not the best musician out there by any means. Staying focused and playing around with what I loved is what brought light into my life.
When I reached my mid-20’s, the band divided and I began to focus solely on my career, which I absolutely adore. I am a front-end web developer and I focus, learn, and read about it as much as I can. However, I find myself not playing music as much.
Since I realized this, I have picked up my guitar again, got a new band together, and started doing stand-up comedy. I am much happier and more fulfilled because of it. You lose yourself if you become a couch potato. From my life experiences and viewpoint, living is the key to life.