Lately it seems the trend amongst a number of people I know is to work two jobs. One job to pay the bills, and one job to pursue their passion. I used to be one of those people.
Since I was in eighth grade I knew I wanted to move to the big city and work in the entertainment industry. I wanted sculpt stories out of film. My second favorite thing in life, after film and television, was music. I was deeply involved in music performance all the way up through college.
I spent my college years focused on reaching my goal of going to film school. I discovered that post-production was my favorite part of the process. I studied hard. I worked all hours. I applied to the top ten schools and no others, and was accepted to the number one graduate school in the country – USC.
For the last ten years I worked in the film and television industry. I did freelance video and sound editing, but my main work was as a music editor. It was a blending of my two loves from childhood. I worked on a variety of projects, from the infamous Mariah Carey film, "Glitter" to spending the last five years on the crew of NBC's sitcom, "Scrubs."
It was a great job. I met some amazing people and had some very unique experiences. I spent time with world class musicians and on the sets of television shows. I got paid to sit in a recording studio listening to live jazz being recorded for the score of "Watching Ellie," written by none other than one of the creators of the bossa nova. I got to eat lunch with Randy Jackson and be entertained by his collection of great stories. My "office" that I drove to for work was a Hollywood studio. I had gone to film school at USC with the goal of working in post-production in film and television and that is exactly what I was doing, and doing very well at.
But as we age, we hopefully also grow. And as we grow, our dreams hopefully evolve.
About seven years ago I discovered martial arts. From there I discovered CrossFit and the world of fitness. That part of my life grew over the last few years. It became my passion, and editing became my day job.
I began to teach CrossFit classes. I began to study in my free time for certifications. I began to take on private clients.
I began to dream of doing this for a living.
One day, just that opportunity presented itself. I took it. I grabbed it and said yes. I had, after all, earned it. Opportunities are not luck – opportunities are rewards we are handed because we earn them.
The joy I got from being in the recording studio, or being on the set, or accomplishing some creative and successful edit of a song, is the same joy and satisfaction I get from teaching in the gym. I used to help people achieve their artistic goals – now I help them achieve their physical goals. And more importantly, I help them discover achievements they didn't know they could reach.
Some people might wonder at my choice. Did I go to graduate school, much less did I pay for graduate school, "just" to become a personal trainer? No, I did not. I went to film school because it was my dream and passion. I am now changing people's lives through fitness because it is my dream and passion.
I have always done exactly what I wanted to do. I have always succeeded at whatever I set my mind. I am quite sure I will continue to do so, no matter what the dream.
My advice to you – find your passion and find a way to make it support you. Quit your day job. Live your dream.
I did.
This is the new path of my life -- what's yours?