#YEAR11PROBLEMS

Head or heart?

Happy Monday, people! It’s time for another #YEAR11PROBLEMS column, this time focussing on one of life’s biggest questions: do you follow your head or follow your heart?

Firstly I’m going to disappoint you by saying that there is no single right answer. Both sides have their pros and cons, just like everything else in life. However, while there’s no right way, there is a right way for each individual and that is what this week’s column is all about.

Following your head has obvious advantages. If you’re choosing a job, your head might tell you to become a lawyer or a doctor – jobs associated with lots of money and consequently a lifestyle many people aspire to. However, if your head is telling you something different to your heart, that’s when the disadvantages come into play.

If your passion isn’t science, fighting someone else’s case, or whatever else your head is telling you to do, you probably won’t be happy when doing it. That’s the significant drawback and often the one thing that stops people from following their head.

The thing that stops people from following their heart, however, is the uncertainty that often comes with it. For example, you may be passionate about the arts and want to become a professional actor or a writer. There is a huge level of uncertainty that comes hand in hand with that. Jobs in the arts are hard to come by and are unreliable, while writing is a fiercely competitive field. There is another question that comes with following your heart: am I good enough to do it?

As you can see, choosing between your head and your heart is a difficult decision. What I will say is that if you choose to follow your passions, there will never be the ‘what ifs’ hanging over your head. And if you really want it, you’ll have it.

See you next week.