Working a nine-to-five job that involved sitting in front of a computer with little to no human interaction for eight hours a day was never what my twelve-year-old self had imagined for my future.
Finishing college and stepping into the world of full-time work was a difficult transition. My ambition for my hobbies and interests started to fade. I felt frustrated by my lack of control over my schedule, drained of energy by the time I got home. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a routine that doesn’t inspire you, I’m sure you can relate.
So why did I stay in my nine-to-five? The comfort of a steady paycheck was hard to give up. Society expects us to follow the path—go to school, get a job, climb the ladder. My parents were proud of me, and I wanted to maintain that image of success for my friends and family. But deep down, I had always dreamed of working for myself.
At first, I thought event planning—specifically wedding planning—was my calling. I even invested in a $1,000 course to kick-start my journey. But right before the weekend class, I stumbled upon a blog post by a wedding planner. She described the stress of the job and how hard it was to book clients. Then she wrote something that stopped me in my tracks:
"I love being a wedding planner, but sometimes I just wish I’d become a wedding photographer instead."
That one sentence changed everything. I unenrolled from the course immediately and used the money to buy my first camera. That blog post, written by a stranger, set me on a completely different path—one that would lead me to building a photography business of my own.
If you’ve ever felt like your job is holding you back, or that you’re meant for something more, know that change is possible. Sometimes, all it takes is one moment of clarity—and the courage to follow it.
