Follow Your Passion

In my previous life before becoming a Personal Trainer, I worked in the Finance industry as a Financial Planning Consultant. It was interesting work that often proved challenging. I was fast-tracked into the role, after being employed only a couple of years at the bank, and was especially promoted in the then pilot team. Sadly, I left the much demanding position eight months later due to too much stress and horrible office politics.

In the meanwhile, I continued to spend time at the gym to de-stress and there I found my passion in health and fitness. I studied a Personal Training course through the gym I'm working for and eventually got my certification a few years ago. I've loved it ever since and never looked back.

When I tell people about my move from the Finance sector to the Fitness industry, I often meet looks of disbelief as they must think I'm crazy for letting a relatively high-paying job go. Sure, the money was great and so were the fringe benefits, but none of that really mattered much when I was fighting ill-health and anxiety attacks. Something had to give - and I didn't want to end up with lots of wealth but no health to enjoy it with. Hence the reason for the career change... Still, sometimes I wonder if I've done the right thing.

Last night, a couple of my friends and I went to see Katie Noonan at the Forum. Katie is from a home-grown band called George and her musical stylings lean towards the alternative-folk genre, which suits her evocative, soulful and, at times, melancholic voice to a tee. Equally, the punters are also of the varied kind... and queer. Sitting in what must have been the gay section of the theatre, I noticed that one of the girls out of the lesbian couple canoodling in front of us looked familiar and remembered that she was a colleague from the bank. After some trepidatious introduction and establishing some semblance of familiarity by trying to work out who worked with who, she asked me a question through the din of the music and crowd:

"So, what made you leave?"

I gave her the answer I've become used to giving but she cut me off before I could go into my spiel.

"No, I already know the reasons why most leave. I asked 'when'?"

"2003."

"Oh, good. You left just before it really turned into shits."

She told me how the culture within the bank gradually changed from that of people first to profit first. And how several others also left when the volume of work being given eventually out-paced the renumerations being paid. She herself had just handed her resignation that day, after sticking it out for several more years, and is due to work in the IT industry in a few weeks. She looked real happy.

And just like that, the niggling voice that was never far from the back of my mind, that often questioned my decision, that made me doubt my actions... it suddenly disappeared. And in its place left a confirmation of what I always felt was right.

Follow your passion.