Follow Your heart...

Hmmm... No this post is not one of the mushy-mushy ones talking about following the heart for the right man/woman... it is more practical, more real and definitely still very personal: It is about following the heart for a profession.
All our growing up years, we were told by parents, teachers, and others we cared to listen to- "Follow your heart in your choice of work and the money will follow! If you chase money, you may have it, but not the satisfaction of work!" Ahem!
Is that true? Some of us are in the beginning of our careers, some in our formative years, and some in settled years and some "can’t wait for retirement" years! Whichever phase we are in- are we following our heart in our work? Are we doing something for the passion of it or the comfort (and may be money) in it?
I really enjoy my profession, and am pretty good at it. But per my qualifications, Ii should be a lab or a research project working towards developing wireless sensor technology for expanding commercial use!
But I am not. I am far from it, but I am in the field I really enjoy! But yes, in the long run- my heart lies somewhere else; alas its still not wireless sensors! I want to be doing something else, and tell myself time and again: What I do now, is a path of security and building up the base to do my own thing! Luckily the path is something I enjoy a lot as well… Hopefully soon will do my dream job!
So in some ways, may be I am not following my heart. Though, I am very passionate about my work.
Luckily for me, I was not forced into any degree or profession. My parents gave us independence and support to choose our own path, do our thing and become our own person. And yes, hence until recently, I was the only one in technology in a family filled with financial geeks! ;-)
Some are not that lucky: I knew someone, who was forced in engineering by his parents, but his heart was in fashion. He was really good at that. Another dear friend, who wanted to be in financial side of the world but forced into engineering. Almost ten years out, guess what she is doing- Financial management. She did follow her heart. I knew some, who were studying there course just to make parents happy or to get graduation degree. They knew the minute they have the diploma, they will be joining the manufacturing plants, diamond trade, teach, trade, whatever else. Then there were the others. I very close friend of mine; for the fifteen years or more that I know her, always wanted to be an architect. She is one now; she is following her heart, her passion in her work. But she always jokes:" I am still waiting for the money to follow!"

I do understand the fact that this is "real life" and one can either follow the poetry side of life or the prose side of it. For me, right now, I am on the prose side. The safe, secure, less risky path! I bow down to people on the poetry side, which is following the passion, the heart, the more (much more) risky side. Sadly, I know few (Very few) people like that.

In this "real world" Is there something like: "Follow the heart and money will follow?" Are you doing something because you love it or is it means to get you somewhere else or you are doing it for the security it may bring. Mind you, none is bad! It’s the path we have to choose in this very "real world"!