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No Such Thing As a Useless Passion
No Such Thing As a Useless Passion
没有无用的喜欢
没有无用的喜欢
“Passion” can be the key to all these irreplaceable, unstealable “riches”
“Passion” can be the key to all these irreplaceable, unstealable “riches”
“Passion” can be the key to all these irreplaceable, unstealable “riches”
Today, in a casual chat with my colleague, I mentioned my daughter’s talents and passions in art. We talked about her potential future in fields like art or design. My colleague, half-surprised, complimented me, saying, "You must be very open-minded parents." Then, almost as a subtle hint, added, “With her excellent grades, she’d surely thrive in business studies.”
This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard something like this, so I wasn’t taken aback by my colleague’s reaction. In the eyes of many parents—especially many Chinese parents—a child’s future must be carefully designed by them. They don’t believe that their child knows where their path lies, nor do they trust that their child can make the right choices. And a “good future” more often than not refers to high-paying professions, with business studies being at the top of the list. Business is the golden ticket. In this age of financial prosperity, business studies symbolize a life of comfort, status, and easy money.
As for what the child enjoys? To many parents, that’s irrelevant. What the child excels at? That depends on how much time and money the parents are willing to invest. As for “art” and such pursuits—I recall mentioning my daughter’s interest to a casual acquaintance once. Her response: “Art is utterly useless.” I remember being left speechless, and swiftly changing the topic.
“There’s no such thing as a useless passion.” If I remember correctly, I once read this in Reader’s Digest. I can still recall a related story about someone with a hobby—though I don’t remember the exact details, perhaps something like crafting—seen by others as a waste of time, utterly pointless. But years later, that hobby became the foundation of their livelihood, bringing both wealth and happiness.
To me, being able to turn something you love and excel at into your career has always been enviable. I’ve had my own passions and talents in the past, yet they couldn’t become my career, because in those days, survival required mastering math, physics, and chemistry. Only by getting into university could one have a “future.”
Years later, as a mother, I am steadfast in my belief that one of the most important responsibilities of a parent is to discover what their child excels at and to protect what they love. Even if that passion seems trivial or insignificant, I still see it as something deeply precious.
I believe that if you genuinely love something, you’ll be willing to give it your all and persevere. Even if it’s not a golden profession. Even if it’s not trendy. Even if it’s something small, if you can do it well, it still holds its own value. The Chinese proverb “In every profession, there’s a master” carries wisdom passed down through millennia. We have every reason to believe that if you dedicate yourself to something, it will never be in vain.
Of course, I’ve thought about it—what if what my child loves can’t provide them with a prosperous life? This “what if” is likely the bogeyman that scares many parents. But it hasn’t scared me, probably because I value my child’s happiness more than wealth.
Tell me, what is there in this world that no one can take away from you or claim for themselves? What is there that doesn’t rely on scarce resources, and thus doesn’t need to be fought over? It’s not your job, your money, your partner, or your honor. It’s your experiences, your knowledge, your skills, your memories, your joy…
“Passion” can be the key to all these irreplaceable, unstealable “riches” (if not the only key, certainly an important one). So tell me, who says passion is useless?
Today, in a casual chat with my colleague, I mentioned my daughter’s talents and passions in art. We talked about her potential future in fields like art or design. My colleague, half-surprised, complimented me, saying, "You must be very open-minded parents." Then, almost as a subtle hint, added, “With her excellent grades, she’d surely thrive in business studies.”
This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard something like this, so I wasn’t taken aback by my colleague’s reaction. In the eyes of many parents—especially many Chinese parents—a child’s future must be carefully designed by them. They don’t believe that their child knows where their path lies, nor do they trust that their child can make the right choices. And a “good future” more often than not refers to high-paying professions, with business studies being at the top of the list. Business is the golden ticket. In this age of financial prosperity, business studies symbolize a life of comfort, status, and easy money.
As for what the child enjoys? To many parents, that’s irrelevant. What the child excels at? That depends on how much time and money the parents are willing to invest. As for “art” and such pursuits—I recall mentioning my daughter’s interest to a casual acquaintance once. Her response: “Art is utterly useless.” I remember being left speechless, and swiftly changing the topic.
“There’s no such thing as a useless passion.” If I remember correctly, I once read this in Reader’s Digest. I can still recall a related story about someone with a hobby—though I don’t remember the exact details, perhaps something like crafting—seen by others as a waste of time, utterly pointless. But years later, that hobby became the foundation of their livelihood, bringing both wealth and happiness.
To me, being able to turn something you love and excel at into your career has always been enviable. I’ve had my own passions and talents in the past, yet they couldn’t become my career, because in those days, survival required mastering math, physics, and chemistry. Only by getting into university could one have a “future.”
Years later, as a mother, I am steadfast in my belief that one of the most important responsibilities of a parent is to discover what their child excels at and to protect what they love. Even if that passion seems trivial or insignificant, I still see it as something deeply precious.
I believe that if you genuinely love something, you’ll be willing to give it your all and persevere. Even if it’s not a golden profession. Even if it’s not trendy. Even if it’s something small, if you can do it well, it still holds its own value. The Chinese proverb “In every profession, there’s a master” carries wisdom passed down through millennia. We have every reason to believe that if you dedicate yourself to something, it will never be in vain.
Of course, I’ve thought about it—what if what my child loves can’t provide them with a prosperous life? This “what if” is likely the bogeyman that scares many parents. But it hasn’t scared me, probably because I value my child’s happiness more than wealth.
Tell me, what is there in this world that no one can take away from you or claim for themselves? What is there that doesn’t rely on scarce resources, and thus doesn’t need to be fought over? It’s not your job, your money, your partner, or your honor. It’s your experiences, your knowledge, your skills, your memories, your joy…
“Passion” can be the key to all these irreplaceable, unstealable “riches” (if not the only key, certainly an important one). So tell me, who says passion is useless?
Today, in a casual chat with my colleague, I mentioned my daughter’s talents and passions in art. We talked about her potential future in fields like art or design. My colleague, half-surprised, complimented me, saying, "You must be very open-minded parents." Then, almost as a subtle hint, added, “With her excellent grades, she’d surely thrive in business studies.”
This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard something like this, so I wasn’t taken aback by my colleague’s reaction. In the eyes of many parents—especially many Chinese parents—a child’s future must be carefully designed by them. They don’t believe that their child knows where their path lies, nor do they trust that their child can make the right choices. And a “good future” more often than not refers to high-paying professions, with business studies being at the top of the list. Business is the golden ticket. In this age of financial prosperity, business studies symbolize a life of comfort, status, and easy money.
As for what the child enjoys? To many parents, that’s irrelevant. What the child excels at? That depends on how much time and money the parents are willing to invest. As for “art” and such pursuits—I recall mentioning my daughter’s interest to a casual acquaintance once. Her response: “Art is utterly useless.” I remember being left speechless, and swiftly changing the topic.
“There’s no such thing as a useless passion.” If I remember correctly, I once read this in Reader’s Digest. I can still recall a related story about someone with a hobby—though I don’t remember the exact details, perhaps something like crafting—seen by others as a waste of time, utterly pointless. But years later, that hobby became the foundation of their livelihood, bringing both wealth and happiness.
To me, being able to turn something you love and excel at into your career has always been enviable. I’ve had my own passions and talents in the past, yet they couldn’t become my career, because in those days, survival required mastering math, physics, and chemistry. Only by getting into university could one have a “future.”
Years later, as a mother, I am steadfast in my belief that one of the most important responsibilities of a parent is to discover what their child excels at and to protect what they love. Even if that passion seems trivial or insignificant, I still see it as something deeply precious.
I believe that if you genuinely love something, you’ll be willing to give it your all and persevere. Even if it’s not a golden profession. Even if it’s not trendy. Even if it’s something small, if you can do it well, it still holds its own value. The Chinese proverb “In every profession, there’s a master” carries wisdom passed down through millennia. We have every reason to believe that if you dedicate yourself to something, it will never be in vain.
Of course, I’ve thought about it—what if what my child loves can’t provide them with a prosperous life? This “what if” is likely the bogeyman that scares many parents. But it hasn’t scared me, probably because I value my child’s happiness more than wealth.
Tell me, what is there in this world that no one can take away from you or claim for themselves? What is there that doesn’t rely on scarce resources, and thus doesn’t need to be fought over? It’s not your job, your money, your partner, or your honor. It’s your experiences, your knowledge, your skills, your memories, your joy…
“Passion” can be the key to all these irreplaceable, unstealable “riches” (if not the only key, certainly an important one). So tell me, who says passion is useless?