One of the most powerful drugs used by followers of motivational speeches, speakers, and human development nonsense is the phrase “follow your passion“. Even in the field of software engineering, this phrase gets thrown around too easily.
But it’s not about following your passion at all.
Passion means doing what you love and what you want, not what needs to be done. It’s better to focus on doing what should be done, not just what you want to do. Sometimes, you won’t even have the opportunity to follow your passion. Other times, you might not even know what your passion really is.
You might think about quitting a company because the tasks you’re assigned feel boring or not exciting enough… but that’s nonsense, a big mistake. You should stay, improve yourself, and ask for more challenging or meaningful tasks.
When I say stay, I don’t mean stop developing yourself or give up on growth, whether within that company or outside it. What I mean is, support yourself and your family first, and believe deeply in your own capabilities.
It’s far better to learn the technical skills that can secure you a job in programming now and in the medium term. Keep developing yourself, not only in your field but also in other areas that make your life easier, both materially and spiritually. (I’m a Muslim, and I truly believe in that.)
As for passion, even if you follow it, can fade. The real point is to do what you must, not just what you love or feel drawn to.
Even in Islam, striving against your own desires requires patience, knowledge, and action, doing what you must for the sake of the hereafter. In a way, doing what needs to be done instead of what you want is also a form of self-struggle.
Keep pushing..