around 1:00 a.m. and I had my accounting
exam study right obviously I was super
bored and my brain was literally dead so
I needed some form of rejuvenation you
know so I opened this video on YouTube I
plugged in my earphones I locked my room
and I started trying out these crazy
dance moves right so I go yeah I go mad
I just go crazy and then so my earphones
they planted the rock solid alright
they’re not coming out right
the music is blasting away on full
volume then I glanced at my door and I
thought it was moving slightly and I was
like no one said the door so and just
when I got comfortable I looked again
and someone was actually pushing the
door I freaked out for a second and then
all of a sudden this piece of paper was
pushed past
underneath my door and guess what it was
a letter from Hogwarts no it was no
letter from Hogwarts the owl it never
showed up
you know what the piece of paper said it
any guesses it was my mom right so I
opened the door and I saw my mom she’s
standing there very sleepy very pretty
standing in all her glory to yell at me
all right you guys remember the movie
Troy Troy have you seen Troy yeah yeah
remember how Achilles is standing
outside the walls of Troy and he’s
shouting
Hector okay so the scene was somewhat
similar except my mom didn’t kill me I’m
still alive all right
almost same right so open the door my
mom signing there and she’s like stop
dancing cuz I can’t sleep you need to
study now or sleep no dance I’m like
sorry mom I’ll study so she went back to
sleep so then I tiptoed into my
brother’s room vacant room and I started
dancing again it’s all good right my mom
slept well I danced if you guys are
thinking how my exam went well I’m moon
walked out of the exam hall faster than
I walked in because I didn’t study
anything anyways let me tell you
something about myself my name is Rajeev
I work for Google in Dublin so Dublin is
Europe headquarters for Google and
outside of Google
I teach dancing in an institute called
Dance Theatre of Ireland so I’m a happy
at Google yes of course I’m happy with
what I’m doing outside of Google oh yes
of course I’m happy
right so I’ve always been passionate
about her dancing and acting at the age
of 15 I got this opportunity to quit
school and studies completely and post
you acting in a mainstream sitcom series
back in India but my parents insisted
that you know it’s too too risky you
have to cement your academic background
and then risk it and the media industry
Bollywood is so huge in India that it’s
extremely uncertain so I didn’t risk it
right I also got a lot of offers from
dancing institutes in India to join as
an instructor but again not something I
could pursue right now tell me something
as I’m sure you guys relate to me right
have you ever had that feeling where
you’re you know floating along the river
of life right
you’re just floating you take the paddle
and you add a paddle and and you see
some paths that is unexplored you want
to go into that unexplored waters why
because you know that waters lead to
your passion right but then there is
something
that’s pulling you back let me give you
an example one day you want to just grab
your backpack
take your DSLR roam around the world and
click a lot of pictures right next day
you want to you want to go get your
guitar and play some terrible music wake
up the neighbors but you’re still happy
because you’re singing in front of a lot
of people because that’s what you like
right but there’s something that’s
always pulling you back what is it
something that something is called
pragmatism you being pragmatic right and
what happens here what is exactly
happening here it’s a war it’s a war
between passion and pragmatism that’s a
first world war right and what happens
eight out of ten times but at Madison
wins you end up being pragmatic more
than being passionate right and just
when you thought that this is the end of
the wars no the second war is coming up
the Second World War
passion and paycheck paycheck is taking
on passion one on one and who wins your
paycheck paycheck wins your whole life
this war just goes on till the end of
your life right that’s what happens
first of all what Second World War
now we’ve all heard the platitude people
saying you know follow your passion boys
follow your passion no but is that
really the best advice maybe if you have
a really good corporate job extremely
well-paying corporate job or you
graduate from an amazing Business School
can you choose between passion and
paycheck can you actually do that right
at the same time it’s funny because
you’ll find a lot of people advocating
against following your passions blindly
I’ll tell you an example Mike Rowe a
famous American TV model he said this
just because you’re passionate about
something doesn’t mean you won’t suck at
it right that’s true like yeah and this
is because you determined to improve
doesn’t mean that you will does that
mean you shouldn’t pursue a thing you’re
passionate about of course not
the question is for
long and to what end when you cannot
find the work that you’re passionate
about ensure that you bring your passion
with you to work confused we talked
about the First World War the Second
World War and then there are people
talking not to follow your passions
don’t worry I’m here to help
I’m gonna break this down for you into
the 3p box
I couldn’t get more creative than 3p you
already have so many piece in marketing
right sorry about that but the 3p box
it’s its basic box that divides where
you can be maybe yeah so let’s look at
each of the boxes the first box pure
passion if you’re are passionate about
singing then you are a full-time singer
period right this is the box that people
want to be in they dream about it like
literally you dream about it but don’t
go there right second box passion at
work and passion outside of work I’m
gonna go back to what micro said when
you cannot find work that you’re
passionate about ensure that you bring
your passion with you to work I am in
this box right now and I’m happy you saw
the old guy right yeah I’m there yeah
paycheck your favorite boxes no yes no
this is the box you do not want to be in
not at all you will end up looking like
these people you don’t want to be like
be like them right so I’ll give you a
quick figure CNBC conducted a global
survey last year and a staggering 48
percent of people were unhappy with
their job 48 percent now if you look at
the bigger picture
that’s almost half the world’s
population rate they’re all stuck
they’re all stuck in that box and what
is holding them back it’s just the
paycheck that’s holding them back right
now let’s be honest I started off with
the third box a lot of people do right
and then they moved boxes I’ve moved to
the second box right and it’s tough to
move to the first box as well so you
might you might think okay when do you
know
right time to move to the first box when
can I take that leap of faith I’ll give
you three simple questions that you need
to answer to kind of figure out that
that question okay how much and to what
extent do you love your passion what do
you bring to the table that no one else
does and what would you love to
contribute to the world through your
passion okay now what I’m telling you is
take a thought through and calculated
risk a logical decision when you’re
thinking of these questions if you’re
not ready probably don’t risk it it’s
too risky to to kind of take that leap
of faith right then you probably try to
move from the third to the second box
and not the first right now you might
wonder okay I don’t know what job to
look for where I can find passion at
work and outside work trust me there are
millions of companies and jobs out there
probably you haven’t searched hard
enough so this search more you will find
something okay
I’m gonna I’m gonna leave you guys with
a few thoughts when you’re sick of work
and you just want to let loose going to
the bar and getting drunk is not the
only option there are a lot of other
options right if you can find time
pursue a passion you don’t have to write
your short story or your novel in one
week you don’t have to perfect your
chicken soup in two weeks no take your
time
you and your passion you are a work in
progress it’s never a finished product
right it is a project that is work in
progress and as soon as you realize that
you will actually enjoy working on your
project okay
now let’s assume 20 years down the line
or 10 years down the line five years
down the line you have a baby a cute
little baby in your hand you’re holding
the baby you have your friends standing
right in front of you you’ll be like I
always wanted to become a singer but I
could never be one it was my dream I
couldn’t make my dream a reality my
daughter she will make my dream a
no not cool that is not fair
let your kids dream for themselves and
let your kids follow their passions and
you should be doing the same thing last
but not the least please please please
ensure you’re not stuck in the Paycheck
box I am daring you guys do not get
stuck here and follow at least box number one or two thank you