In my previous topic of Turning Your Passion Into Income, I did touch a little bit on how I turned my passion into income by opening my gym in 2012. We have been on a roller coaster ride for the past 10 years but the journey has been pretty good so far. Even after so long, I am still passionate about martial arts & I can proudly call myself a lifelong martial artist. From Taekwondo to Muay Thai to MMA & now Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, all these martial arts come in different forms but one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is CONSISTENCY. In order to be good at it, you have to be consistent & have an open mind.
Since many of my readers have different hobbies or passions in life, have you ever seen this as part of your long-term investment? It can be from spending money & time doing what you truly love to do. For example, some people are passionate about cars & they spend their time & money on their cars. For me, it is all about martial arts & aside from earning income from it, I am also spending money on it for equipment, body wellbeing & seeking new knowledge. You may think, is it really worth it to spend a certain amount of money on your hobby or passion? If you think it is not worth it, your hobby or passion may not truly be your passion. Investing in your passion can be something that is fulfilling in your life but it may also be part of your income stream. It depends on the type of hobby or passion that you are interested in but what are the benefits of investing in it?
Potential Income
Never in my wildest dream did I imagine myself opening a martial arts gym. To cut long story short, my mum actually suggested I start teaching martial arts from home & a few months later, my current gym partner approached me to open an MMA gym.
I have another friend that collects Pokemon cards as his hobby. He managed to fund his hobby by selling the cards & also running his own YouTube channel. If you are passionate about something, perhaps you can also think of how can you earn money from your hobby or passion.
Skill Development
Not all hobbies & passions will have skill development but most of them have certain learnings that you can develop from it. Personally, in order for me to develop my BJJ skills, I have to invest in different instructional, seminars, competitions & also travel to different gyms to improve my skill. It is all worth it especially when I am able to see the improvement of my skills.
Brings Joy In Your Life
Martial arts have always brought me joy even as a young kid. As a lifelong martial artist, I don’t see myself slowing down or quitting on my passion. Similarly, you may also wonder how some people can be so passionate about their hobby. I am sure it brings joy to them.
Making New Friends
Most of my close friends share the same passion as me & the time we spend together is usually 3-4 times a week from training to having meals together. Another friend of mine met his traveling buddy by playing the same game for almost a decade. Sharing the same hobby or passion will definitely find you a good friend.
Conclusion:
More than 20 years invested in martial arts, I truly think that this whole journey has been worth it despite having good & bad times doing it. From competing at an international level to nagging injuries, it is all worth it. Although some hobby or passion may not be able to generate you any income but the other benefits such as happiness, self-development, or making friends is definitely worth it. If you don’t have any hobby or passion, it is either you have not discovered it yet or it may be a routine that you are doing subconsciously without realizing it is a hobby. If you have not discovered any yet, my suggestion to you is to keep an open mind & try everything & eventually, you will be hooked onto something.
OSS!
You can also check out my latest YouTube video on How To Invest Like Warren Buffett:
