The YouTube algorithm has been throwing some pretty awesome stuff my way recently.
Last week, I got recommended an uncut, 40+ minute video from an ex-neurosurgeon sharing why he left a high-paying, stable job to be completely unemployed, living with his wife and dog in the mountains.
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(I highly recommend giving the full video a watch or background listen.)
What inspired me about Dr. Goobie’s story was the change he made for his health and happiness.
I’ve talked at length about why pursing something you love - personally or professionally - is so important to your well-being.
But what happens when something you love becomes something you don’t love?
This is a fear that I hear from tons of my Composing Career Bootcamp students.
And this is the conflict Dr. Goobie found himself in.
His dream was to ease people’s pain by becoming a neurosurgeon.
But during his years of practice, he began noticing that the surgeries he performed had varying degrees of success - not based on his skill, but on the lifestyles and habits of the patients themselves.
Once he discovered this, he found himself in an ethical conflict:
To truly help people, he’d need to help them change their lifestyles. But doing so would result in less business for him, as less people would need surgery.
This conflict eroded his passion for his work.
He gained 40 pounds over the course of several years, spent most days complaining, and became jaded about his profession.
When the day came that he finally decided to quit - thanks to the convincing and support of his wife - no one understood his decision.
“But why would you leave such a dream job? Why not just work part-time instead?”
But Dr. Goobie knew the truth.
After quitting, he spent the next year resting, spending time with his wife and dog, and documenting his life in nature.
The following year, he shared his story on his YouTube channel.
And that’s when something incredible happened.
That video currently has over 10 million views from people around the world.
Dr. Goobie said that his goal in life was always to “ease people’s suffering”.
I’d argue that with that kind of reach, it’s likely that he’s impacted as many lives by sharing his story online as he has through his entire neurosurgery career.
So what’s the moral of the story, here?
When you set out on a career path, your needs can and will change.
You’ll learn new things about yourself, and about the profession you’ve chosen.
You may discover there’s things you dislike that you thought you’d like - or things you thought you’d hate that you realize you love.
And when that happens, you’ve got to listen to your heart.
“When you let go of something that you're holding onto too tightly - even though it's hurting you - then you can pick up something else that's hopefully better for you.”
It doesn’t mean that you have to change career paths, but it does mean that something needs to change.
- Don’t let your pride or ego stand in the way of doing what’s right for you.
- Don’t stick to an opinion just because you’re afraid of what people will think if you change your mind.
- And don’t rationalize your way out of what your intuition is telling you.
Because...
The truest path to get where you want to go is to take the path that feels truest to you.
đź‘‹ Ready for more?
When you're ready, here's 4 ways I can help:
- 🎥 My YouTube. Watch 350+ videos including music tutorials, career tips, and more.
- 🗞️ The Newsletter Archive. Read articles from previous weeks of this newsletter.
- 🎬 Composing Career Bootcamp. Join my 6-week cohort-based course to learn how to land paid composing work from anywhere in the world. (100+ students, 5 stars)
- đź‘‹ Work Directly with Me. I'm offering private mentorship to a handful of select media composers. If you're interested, click the link to apply.
That's all for now!
Hit reply to share your thoughts, questions, or just to say hi.
(I love hearing from my readers. 🙂)
Otherwise, happy music-making and I'll see you next Tuesday!
- Zach
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