As you would have guessed by now, “chasing your dreams” or “following your passion” are phrases that work better as inspirational poster designs than actual advice.

Should you be lucky enough to be doing something you love, you can agree that some form of compromise or sacrifice must have been made along the way.

Obstacle 1: Money Talks

Financial considerations are probably the most common obstacle for anyone looking to chase their dreams.

Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does help very much.

The cost of chasing your passion can chalk up quite the bill.

Even if we were to live off the bare minimum, resources to sustain your craft are not going to pay for themselves.

A photographer is going to need some money for a basic camera rig to start out, for example.

An artist will need their canvas and paints, and devices for digital illustration.

A fashion designer will need to buy different types of cloth, mannequins and sewing equipment.

Running your own cafe means forking out a hefty amount for rent and hiring employees.

Sunk costs amount to thousands of dollars with no returns in sight.

This, coupled with the thought of what’s going to put food on the table should send most of us into panic mode, let alone think about breaking even or making a profit in the near future.

Having enough savings or a part-time job to sustain yourself is a great idea, but both methods take some effort, planning, and plenty of sacrifices.

When it comes down to it, it’s no wonder some people choose to take the “easier” way out.

Obstacle 2: Your parents want you to hustle the way they did.

For some of us, nothing is quite as bad as disapproval from the people you love most: your parents.

After years of those drawing and piano lessons, you find your parents have shifted their focus from getting you to try everything, to accelerating you towards what they think is the perfect career after you’ve entered a school of their choice.

A colleague whom I spoke to pointed out that most of us haven’t quite grown out of the “need to hustle” mindset that our parents had.

“We simply didn't grow up in the sort of environment which encourages us to pursue our dreams, unlike western countries, where they are more or less accustomed to economic growth which makes them less concerned about things like chasing after money,” she said.

This has contributed to the fixed perception -- and value -- attached to jobs in the financial or medical sectors, for example, where they are seen as stable, proper professions.

This pressure to conform to certain career expectations is prevalent even amongst your most trusted peers, where alternative career choices would not be taken seriously.

You understand that everyone cares about you, but you walk away knowing that the need for survival is not a friend of passion, with the exception of being passionate about staying afloat.

Obstacle 3: What if I’m just not that good and I fail?

Even if you possess the right “in-demand” skills, one’s self-esteem could be what’s sabotaging your career.

A common lament is that even if you possess the necessary skills that are in demand in the market, there’s that feeling that there are a few million other people around you who are competing for a very small chance to enter the industry and succeed in it.

The fear of failure is also compounded by the weight of expectations, especially when the decision to go against the grain is not a smooth-sailing journey on its own.

The sting of repeated rejections, made worse by losing money, time and effort spent in pursuing something that didn’t work out is enough to turn many people away from continuing with the idea.

Who wants to see their own passion project go up in flames after all, just for others to say that they “told us so?”

So we give up.

Even though the voice in our head tells us otherwise, the safety net that holds us up is preferable than taking a leap of faith in doing what you really like and want to do.

Changing the tide with youthful passions and aspirations

That was straight up depressing, but it doesn’t always have to be the case.

There are plenty of success stories too, that of various individuals that pushed through all said boundaries and made a name for themselves.

It just takes a little push, and this event might be that nudge of inspiration you need.

Join fellow like-minded youths at YOUTH^x, a National Youth Council initiative which is Singapore's largest youth festival, where youths can connect and celebrate their aspirations and talents.

The youth-centric event brings together a whole host of partners to rally support, network and resources as a collective to promote youth aspirations, interests and youth culture in Singapore.

The weekend festival includes the SHINE initiative, which has helped plenty of youths throughout the years in achieving progress in their careers and craft.

Part of the festival includes SHINE LIVE, where you can catch live performances featuring the brightest and most promising bands and artists in Singapore.

Music acts include top musicians in Singapore and music mentees who have undergone SHINE x *SCAPE’s Talent Development Programme in the last couple of years, including Yung Raja, Fariz Jabba and Axel Brizzy.

You just might be convinced that your dreams are not so silly after all.

Where to go

Event: YOUTH^x, Weekend Festival

Date: August 3 & 4 2019

Venue: Singapore Sports Hub

Timing: 10 am to 10 pm

For more information, you can join the official YOUTH^x Telegram channel here.

This article is brought to you by NYC, who believes that everyone has the potential to create something amazing out of their passions.

Top photo via Pexels on Pixabay