$60k pay cut

As the oldest first generation child, life is already kind of ... hard, to say the least. I mean, basically being born with the stress of having to bring this sense of pride and joy to your family, is such a blessing and a curse within itself. It's as if we were born carrying the load of all our ancestors along with the migraine of having to make all our past generations proud. That being said, you can imagine the distress I was in when I was looking for a way to drop out of my pre-med courses, switch to a theater degree, and somehow break the news to my parents. I know, this sounds very dramatic, and rightfully so, it was a dramatic time in my life.
You see, I was in the 6th grade when I first did anything that was related to theater. I auditioned for the role of Wendy in the peter pan play hosted by my school. Sadly I caught the flu and couldn't continue the role. However I was still involved in the production aspect of the play, and I was so in love with the process. I can't really remember having that much enthusiasm towards anything in my life. Fast forward to high school and my parents are actively suggesting that I consider going into the medical field as a career choice. They had actively expressed their disinterest in me pursuing anything in the performing arts realm. So that's what I did. As of my junior year in HS, I focused on my chemistry classes, my biology classes, and mainly in hospital shadowing. I completely ignored my artistic inclination and did what would make my parents and family proud of me.
COLLEGE WAS A FREAKING NIGHTMARE. For the next three years after high school, going to college was more of a chore than a want. I consistently dropped my classes or failed at-least two of them. I did this for three years. Three years of hating school, looking for excuses, and most importantly lying to myself. So one day, I decide to go out for a drink. Nothing major. Well, that's what I thought at least. Long story short, I ended up coming home around 4am, crawling, blacked out, and sobbing as I told my parents that I didn't actually want to be a doctor. I wanted to pursue theater, and I was so scared to tell them.
But why? Why are we so afraid to tell our parents what will make us truly happy? What are we so afraid of that we constantly dread telling our parents what and how we feel, what we want and desire the most? I've never really understood why my anxiety attacks were at their peak when it came to having any sort of talk with my parents about what I wanted out of my life. I was once told that coming out as an artistically inclined first generation child to Latino parents was similar to somebody coming out as gay to conservative religious parents. I always fought that opinion because it just didn't make sense to me. I mean, right?? How are you gonna compare an artistic child to a gay child? Then I had to explain and defend my choice to my parents for about three months consistently. That's when I realized that the struggle was similar. It was by no means the same struggle, but it was similar.
I remember telling a cousin of mine that I finally switched to a theater degree and their first reaction was, "You're going from doctor to theater? Are you sure you want to take that $60k pay cut?" Then it dawned on me. As first generational children, especially in this day and age, we tend to base success off of our future annual salary. I mean, I get it, I do. Who wouldn't want to be able to go shopping and buy whatever they'd like without having to look at the price tag? I know I definitely would love to be able to do that in life. However, success should just be measured by the number in your bank account, and being about to realize that took me a while.
You see, I like to believe that success is based on your overall well being. That includes emotional and mental well being. What do you get if you're financially well off but your job makes you miserable and has you stressed all the time? Hating your job and dreading going into work doesn't seem like a good balance to have a lot of money. That's just my opinion though. Doing what you love seems much more successful than just making six figures a month.
So what do you gain out this post? Maybe it's the sign you've been waiting for so you can chase the dream that everyone makes you feel stupid for having. Maybe I helped put you to sleep, or maybe you didn't get this far because it wasn't interesting enough. However, if anything from here is going home with you, I hope its this:
1) Don't let the stress of having to make people proud eat you alive. Make yourself proud first and foremost. You are the person you spend the most time with. You are with you 24/7. Make yourself your biggest achievement and start by making yourself proud of who you are. If you don't look in the mirror and think "Wow, you are amazing and I am so proud of everything you do and have done." Then you need to make your wants, needs, and dreams a priority.
2) Picking a career is already stressful as it is. Like seriously, you're expected to be 18/19 and know what you want to do for the rest of your life. Don't make it more difficult by thinking about how your career path will be viewed by others, especially your parents. Parents always want whats best for you, and sometimes they think that certain careers are better than what you have in mind (yes, I'm talking about the cliche business, medical, and law degrees. Now a days, being a teacher doesn't seem like a good option anymore because of the pay. But that's not the point). Point is, they're not going to resent you for choosing a career that will fill your heart and soul with joy everyday for the rest of your life. Yeah it may take some time for them to get used to the idea, but they are still going to love and support you regardless. Take them with you for the ride of choosing your career path, parents tend to be the best cheerleaders.
3) Money doesn't equate overall success. Yes, money is important and a necessity for daily life, however, it wont always be the answer to overall happiness and satisfaction. Focusing on your emotional and mental well being rather than mainly on your financial well being will not only help you better yourself on the physical aspect, but also internally. When you are at peace with yourself, you are at peace with the world.