“Pursue Your Passion Without Going Broke.” These were the words sprawled across a poster sent to me via chat. “Please come tom?” Monica says. She is giving a talk.
I met Monica Manzano two years ago at a yoga retreat which she founded with two of her good friends. Flow Retreats, as the company is called, is a yoga, surf, dance, art, and wellness retreat that not only teaches asana or yogic postures, but also opens up doors into a life lived according to your passions.
Monica Eleazar-Manzano
And so when Monica said that she was giving a talk, I knew right away this was something I needed to hear—after all, as someone in her mid-twenties, I really have been contemplating on slightly more serious aspects of my life. Finances sit on top of that dreaded pile. But like any other twentysomething, my dreams are still very important to me, too.
But how exactly do you balance both? Dreams and financial stability? We constantly would see extreme “quit your job to travel the world” posts circulating online, but as much as that sounds VERY appealing, is it really advisable? Don’t get me wrong—I LOVE traveling. I breathe freedom and adventure. But let’s be real here for a sec. We need jobs, y’all. We gotta eat and pay the bills.
READ: Around the World Trip: 8 Preparation Tips for Filipino Backpackers
And so I went. I went to the event, and Monica’s talk was nothing short of inspiring, as expected. And without further ado, here are the 5 best advice from her to pursuing your passion without going broke.
5. Face the hard reality
Step 1, as with all problem-solving solutions, is admitting that there is something that needs fixing. Or at least given attention.
We hear motivational phrases like “dream big” or “keep on dreaming” all the time, but you have to face the reality that those dreams will never cease to be just dreams if you are not willing to work on it.
Achieving your dreams require a LOT of hard work. That is the truth. As another cliche goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can get into action into pursuing your passions.
4. Create a plan
And actually stick to it. Detours are inevitable (things don’t always go as planned), but the important thing is that you always work your way back to your goal. This is how you keep focus.
Monica’s advice? Define time periods. This will help you stay on track.
3. Have a Plan B
Because such is life, things will not always go as planned. It is ideal to have a second (or third) plan to fall back to just in case.
A few years ago, Monica left everything in the city to relocate to Palawan with her husband and their little boy. They lived in a “kubo” somewhere on the outskirts of Puerto Princesa, living a quiet life surrounded by the serenity of nature. They were living many city dwellers’ dream. They were living their dream. But they were away from everything — good schools and good jobs among other things — that their savings started to dwindle. In the end they had to move back to the city, their savings depleted.
“Always have a plan B,” Monica emphasized. Something she learned the hard way.
2. Act now
This is the truth — so many of us procrastinate in the guise of “waiting for the right time.” Guess what: there is no right time. The time is always now.
Start big or start small — what’s important is you start at all.
1. Invest in yourself
Getting into stocks and trading is something I’ve always pondered on, but I was never confident because of my lack of knowledge on the field. And I think I speak for a lot of Filipinos. Stocks and trading are intimidating subjects. The good news is there are teams of professional investment experts out there that can manage your funds for you 24/7. Monica told us that she has an investment fund account with Security Bank, for example, which has a minimum investment requirement of only Php 10,000. Definitely affordable by yuppies who are looking to start a good savings or retirement fund!
A UITF (Unit Investment Trust Fund) account is basically just a bank account; you put money in but there’s so much potential for your funds to grow instead of just stagnantly sitting there unlike with ordinary savings accounts. I was sold on the idea so well I opened my own investment fund as well after that. If you want to learn about opening your own investment fund as well, you can check on this link: https://bit.ly/2d0Pwfh
Because let’s face it, rounding up to my #1 on this list, you need money to pursue your passions and dreams. So start investing on yourself to do exactly that.
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When you’re young, it’s so easy to fall into the carefree mindset. Like nothing can ever go wrong. And while I’m all for living in the moment, there comes a time when you realize a little security won’t hurt. Believe me. In my early twenties I was traveling nonstop, no matter the finances, but now that I’m 26, I’ve started thinking about properly investing on my future. On finally ~*adulting*~
Is there anything else you can add to this list? What are some effective ways you’ve discovered how to pursue your passion without going broke? Let us know in the comments!
