SkyHigh

“Don’t Follow Your Passion, But Always Bring it With You.” - Mike Rowe


Mike Rowe from the show Dirty Jobs has written several articles, a now famous speech, and letters regarding what he believes to be flawed advice commonly given about following ones passion.

His basic premise is that blindly following a misguided passion is personally destructive. He goes on to suggest finding a path that is "within ones grasp" and complements your life. Learn to love what you do rather than following a blind vision quest.

“Staying the course” only makes sense if you’re headed in a sensible direction. Because passion and persistence – while most often associated with success – are also essential ingredients of futility. - Mike Rowe

I believe that much of his premise applies to the common "futility" of an aviation career and supports my message here in APC.

Here is a link to an article:

Mike Rowe's must-read response to an Alabamian who asked why he shouldn't follow his passion - Yellowhammer News

Sincerely,

Your Friend, Skyhigh

PurpleToolBox

What a boring place this world would be if people didn't follow their dreams. The best lessons in life come from failure. I hate the message you bring here Skyhigh.

JohnBurke

Is that you, Satan?

bedrock

I think Rowe's point would be better stated as don't blindly follow your passion. Flying airplanes for a living is not like majoring in French literature and Medieval Studies. It is a skill that allows one to make a living. How good of a living remains questionable. The question to ask is what are you willing to do or sacrifice for your passion? The answer from a teenager will inevitably be "anything". From a 40 yr old who's been treated like a mule, the answer will be different. The passion I had even 10 yrs ago is gone. That doesn't mean i should crap all over someone else's dream, but I believe I should warn and inform them of what lies ahead. In short, I've grown up. Aviation is just a job now. I think this is inevitable, any passionate relationship cools off after a while.

Unfortunately, our passion can also be our biggest weakness, growing up means admitting that.

2StgTurbine

SkyHigh-

I am sorry you aviation career did not pan out and I am sorry that it still upsets you to this day.

I do find it odd that while my career is going well, I spend very little time on a forum that directly deals with the industry I am in, yet you seem to have ample time to waste on this website. I think if you had put the amount of energy you devote to this forum into your aviation career, it might of worked out. The major downside with this industry is the amount of time away from home you have to spend, but with your insane number of posts indicates that you have ample time that could be spent on the road.

Some points you make are valid and there are some big negatives with this industry that new people seem to ignore, but that is not unique to aviation. Every career has its pitfalls and many people do not like their jobs. What it comes down to is luck and education. The people you are trying to convince won't listen to anything you are saying. Spend time with your family and let the brand new flight student think they will be a 747 captain in five years, because once that person realizes aviation is a hard road, they will just go into some other profession like finance thinking they will be on Wall Street in another 5 years but will just end up being a middle manager at a bank.

Just stop wasting your life away on a career you are no longer in.

JohnBurke

I didn't set out to be a 747 Captain (never thought it would be possible). As it turned out, it took 25 years to end up there.

25 years very well spent, I thought, with experiences and memories and paths I could never have imagined. Those paths put me in the place where I met my wife. They took me to places and allowed me to do things I never thought I'd see and do in my lifetime. It was a path for which I am very grateful, and that I found humbling. I look back at the trials and challenges and experiences and wonder how I was ever fortunate enough to have them.

Moreover, while I thought that 747 captain would mark the pinnacle of a career (where does one go from there?), I was wrong about that, too. It's a great experience, but there's even more in the industry from which to choose and enjoy.

A number of years ago I spoke with a young man who was curtain-climbing his way up the career ladder in aviation. I suggested at the time that he seek work with an aeromedical operation that flew MU-2's. Everyone I knew at that operation enjoyed their work. They stayed busy, the job was challenging at times and rewarding, and they pay wasn't bad for what it was. The young man shrugged the idea off.

"I don't want to do that," he said. "People who go there lose their ambition."

When I asked what he meant, he told me that he'd seen several people who were very driven to go places in their career, take that very job. Once in the job, they discovered that they really liked it. They found they had time for themselves and their family. They found that they liked the job, the flying, and the company. They found that they were happy. I asked him what was wrong with finding something that makes you happy.

"I don't want to lose my ambition and get stuck doing something just because I like it or because I'm happy," he said.

I never understood such thinking, but that young man sounds very much like the patron saint of skyhigh.

Airdale

To the OP, your posts are very objective. Your career didn't pan out, so why be an advocate to discourage others?

I spent 9 years working my ass off as an airline pilot and doing everything I could to climb the ladder. I was a victim of bad timing, like many others. I reached a PERSONAL point where I needed to decide if I wanted to keep "hanging in there" or leave the industry in pursuit of some other avenue.

I just recently left the airline industry for the aviation training industry. This was my decision, based upon what I needed and what I wanted. But I would never discourage anyone else from following their dream and pursuing their goal of a flying career. Let them do it. Let them experience the thrills, the ups and the downs, the challenges and the victory, the hard times and the good times. Let them chose what is best for them.

Chasing my airline dream didn't work out and sometimes I'm bitter about it, but I don't regret it because it was MY decision. I accomplished most of what I set out for and the reason I didn't land at a Legacy airline had nothing to do with my part. Do I recommend the airline career to anyone? Sure, if that is what they so desire. But I wouldn't sugar coat it, I'd make sure they do their research and decide on their own.

I'm definitely going to miss flying everyday, but for me, my family has become more important than chasing metal.

I suggest you stop trying to dissuade people from their flying ambitions and instead reevaluate just what the hell you are trying to say to everyone here.


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USMCFLYR

I hope you are following your own advice Sky and sitting each of your kids down as early as possible and giving them the 'don't follow your passion' speech - whether that may be aviation, music, sports, or accounting - or do you advocate not following one's passion only for aviation?

For those who might actually be swayed by Mike Rowe's quote/lecture, I'll counter with an internet battle of quote and supply 12 quotes who encourage one to follow their passions - whatever they may be in life.

12 quotes that will encourage you to follow your passion | Idealist Careers

Of course in my opinion, if internet quotes are what you rely on for making important life decisions (or if you take life advice from TV show hosts), then you have other problems to deal with first before you start worrying about passions in any aspect of your life.

For me - I'm darn glad I followed my passion.

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/mi...ml#post1753113

I can't imagine having missed out on such life experiences because someone gave me, and I might have listened, to such foolish advice on an internet website.

HeavyDriver

When your role models and advice givers are celebrities...Then your dreams will be shattered

Dad

I guess Skyhigh didn't get this fatherly advice....

Really Mike Rowe...?

Grumble

The quitter is back to tell us all how he has no regrets about quitting, again. Because he doesn't miss it at all supposedly.