I am not writing this as a successful entrepreneur that has made so much money that I can comfortably retire and give advice to others because that is not the case. Actually, the opposite is true. As I get older, now 60 and even closer to retirement, I do worry about how long I will work and what I will do for what is obviously the time I have left remaining in this world. I can see the checkered flag off in the distance but who knows, that flag can be closer than one thinks.

 

However, the purpose of this writing is not to sound as dismal as it appears.  The purpose is to explain a succession of events that have taken place over the course of many years that has led me to where I am today. The advice I would give to younger people is to “find and follow your passion.” But this is not as easy as it sounds. How can you find a passion if you don’t have one, or at least one that you can recognize easily? Also, most likely your passion may be something that cannot put food on the table for yourself and for your family. Obviously being able to earn a living and pay for food and shelter is the first priority and always should be.

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But when it comes to finding your passion the first thing to do is take something that you enjoy doing for example, crossword puzzles, music, painting, it could be anything. Even work can be something you enjoy doing it. Getting paid for something you enjoy doing is the ultimate win.

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Many people have jobs they dislike and actually dread Mondays. Mondays are the beginning of the work week and there’s that word again, "work!" Then Friday comes and there is no work for 2 days, hence the joy when Friday comes and the clock strikes 5pm. I have visions of Fred Flintstone flying to his car when the whistle blew.

 

Unless you have a job where work is busier on the weekends, such as waiters and waitresses or anything that usually takes place on Saturdays and Sundays then this does not apply.  In my case, it took many years and I actually stumbled on combining not one, not two, not three, but at least four passions of mine all of which have led to positive results.

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Years ago, music was an important part of my life. I played guitar at an early age and then played in a band soon after. This was ideal for a teenager and even as a young adult in my 20s. However, unless you are a prodigy, very lucky, or very talented, you cannot really earn a living from this. The term, “starving artist” is a real thing. You may enjoy it, but unless you really “make it” it is something you can enjoy doing but not be able to earn a decent income and retire on. Therefore, music and playing the guitar are my first two passions.

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For me, putting food on the table for many years was done by working with technology as an IT support person. This is really the only jobs I have had since graduating college in 1984. Computers, printers, phones, networks all fall under the world of technology and now with streaming, computers and television are now interchangeable and with wi-fi being everywhere technology isn’t going away any time soon. Technology I would consider another passion, although, nowhere near the passion that music and playing the guitar are to me.

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At one point photography from the early 2000s until about 2011 was a strong passion of mine as well. This has since waned for me, but with the emergence of digital cameras and now phones used as cameras, this fourth passion of photography seemed to be a natural progression. I would use my phone to take video and photos, copy them to my computer, record myself playing the guitar, edit them, transfer them to the computer and now with the Internet everything comes together nice and easily to share with others.

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When my employer, BASE Technologies in Bethel, CT offered all employees a certain amount of money as a “give back” initiative in 2020 during the pandemic, this was the last piece to the puzzle. We were all given $500 from the owner and told to do whatever we liked with it.  We had to give back and do something nice for the community or for others. I bought 3 guitars, took photos of the guitars, put out a video on Facebook and YouTube looking for children to give the guitars to and accidentally discovered my last passion.

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The last and fifth passion is helping children discover music by giving them free guitars. My top 2 passions, music and playing the guitar, plus my two other passions, technology and photography, have now led to me having my own 501c3 non-profit called “Smiles I Can’t See” which gets guitars into the hands of children. “Smiles I Can’t See, Inc.” is now a registered non-profit and accepts donations and used guitars to give to children nationally. 

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To recap, combining many passions to come up with that final piece is something you may need to work on. It can take many years like in my case or it can happen sooner. Technology is still how I put food on the table and I still think about what will happen when and if I ever retire so that has not changed. But what has changed is the ability and satisfaction of doing something I enjoy doing and being able to make a difference to help others, especially children. 

 

I remember moving to a new neighborhood from the Bronx to Yonkers and my acoustic guitar was my best friend. Eventually I made friends but never forgot the guitar and have also recently had a resurgence and am now playing out live again. I may not "make it" as a thriving musician but I have in a sense already made it by doing for others and giving them the opportunity to "make it" themselves. I joke that this can easily be my retirement money and I am hedging my bets. All it takes is one of these kids to become a famous musician and I may be set for life!