02/04/2025
I used to believe that passion was everything. That if you loved something enough, you would find a way to pursue it no matter what. But as I got older, reality hit me hard. Passion doesn’t put food on the table. It doesn’t pay the bills.
Growing up in the Philippines, I saw so many talented individuals, artists, musicians, writers, who had to set aside their dreams just to survive. They traded their paintbrushes for construction tools, their guitars for office desks, their creativity for stability. Not because they wanted to, but because they had no choice.
I’ve been there too. There were times when I had to put aside what I loved because survival came first. I told myself, “Maybe one day, when things are better.” But life moves fast, and before you know it, years pass, and that passion feels like a distant memory.
But here’s what I’ve learned: Passion doesn’t really die. It just waits. It stays quiet in the background, hoping that one day, you’ll give it a chance again. And maybe, just maybe, we don’t have to choose between survival and passion forever. Maybe we can find small ways to keep it alive, even in the midst of struggle.
Because life isn’t just about getting by, it’s also about finding meaning. And sometimes, that meaning comes from doing what we love, even if it’s just in the little moments we steal back for ourselves.
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