In the struggle to integrate work with a meaningful, fun, and fulfilling life, many of us find our big dreams colliding with our occupational realities. As much as we'd like to be starting our own businesses, finishing our novels, selling our albums, or getting out to those casting calls, we feel chained to our chairs, shackled to our spreadsheets, drowned in our dead-end day jobs.
And the prevailing wisdom is that you just have to quit the job, cut the cord, and take the leap from the job that you tolerate to the work that you love. Unfortunately, following that wisdom has led far too many people to financial ruin, frustrated ambitions, and unfulfilled dreams. There's a better way - and it doesn't involve quitting your day job to chase your dreams.
Can you simultaneously feast in immense career success, while enjoying great personal success in pursuing your dream as well? Before you come to any conclusion, we would like to introduce you to a young architect Al Masud who has come to the spotlight as a director with the latest official music video of the song "Ghuri Tumi Kaar Akashe Oro".
Lead vocal of band Ahetuk, Al Masud performing at the concert 'Carnival of Life' at army stadium
This G-Series production has hit 2.3 lacs views on YouTube within the first month of its release. Al Masud, a graduate of dept. of Architecture, North South University is currently working as a Senior Architect at Sacred Associates Ltd - which a private consulting farm where is working on some major projects.
He made his directorial debut with a drama "Deyaler Opasher Golpo" (The story of the other side of the wall) which casts TV star Sajal, Piya Bipasha&Orchita Sporshia.Masud made his first TV appearance as a singer in 2002 on BTV in a show called Shomaroho, hosted by famous singer Ferdous Wahid.
Masud's singing career boosted when he and his band Ahetuk won the Airtel- Radio Foorti Youngster Competition in November 2013. In 2016 Gaanchill Music released his solo album Rajkumari which turned out to be another success in Masud's singing career. He has also worked with Gaanchill as a Project Coordinator of Gaanchill Folk Fusion.
Pursuing someone's dream doesn't mean to leave everything and just go for it. Of course there are many successful people around whose success will contradict this view, but on the other hand, there are much more untold stories of people who lost everything running after their dreams blindly. You just have to have a plan. It's obvious that you are not going to get any support from your family when you tell them that you want to be a Director or you are going to take Singing or Writing or Photography as a profession.
There are exceptions of course but it is the case of most of the families in our country. So work hard for your career and work harder for your dream. If you are really willing to pursue your dream, you will definitely find some extra time for it. Masud said that he makes time for his recording or shooting after his office hours, and yes it is very difficult and tiring as well, but this difficulty, is what makes you different from all the others.
Think big. If you think your job is not letting your dream come true, you should think again. Not everyone who quit their job to pursue their dream became successful. If you are confident enough then the choice is always yours. Make a plan, think again and just go for it. Best of luck!
The writer is an engineer by profession and writes for The Asian Age
-Reaz Ahmed