DOES EVERY PASSION NEED TO BE CERTIFIED?

I recently went back to playing piano, but not in the way I imagined. At first, I thought I would practice every day and prepare for the ABRSM Grade 5 exam. Then school got busy. I had basketball practice, three AP classes, and the YetGen certificate program. I kept telling myself I would “catch up next week,” but there was always something else to do. For a while, I felt guilty, like I was failing at something I used to love.

Eventually, I realized that forcing the piano into a strict schedule was making me avoid it. So I changed my mindset. Now I play when I want to relax, not to meet a requirement. Sometimes it is only ten minutes, sometimes it is longer. I do not worry about technique or exams. I just play pieces that make me feel calm. It has become a break from life instead of another item on my to do list.

This experience taught me an important lesson. Not every passion has to turn into a performance, a certificate, or an achievement. Sometimes it is enough for something to simply bring joy. I do not know if I will ever take the Grade 5 exam, and that is fine. The piano reminded me that life needs space for activities that do not come with pressure or comparison.

My advice to anyone who feels overwhelmed is to let one hobby exist without expectations. It can still matter even if it does not produce a result. The value might be in how it makes you feel, not in what you can prove.

There's someone else thinking like me :) I think we can change our mind on issues...Please watch this and leavw your comments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIdpcyJg5ig