Paid To Play: How I Quit My Day Job & Became A Mermaid

Lately, I have been making some pretty ballsy moves on my pursuit towards Mermaid success, and believe it or not, I just took my ballsy-ness to the next level with this one. Which says a lot coming from a girl who dropped out of college and pretended to work for the Travel Channel.

The way I see it, our soul-seeking generation yearns for more than just business success, we are craving a life of purpose. Yes, we want to make money, but we also wish to have our hard work appreciated, our voices heard, and our unique talents to shine. We want the freedom to travel, the inspiration to create, and the power to make a difference by simply doing what we love.

We want to get paid to play.

Alright, so here is where I take my ballsy-ness to the next level.

A couple of days before the New Year, I decided to quit my steady job and set out on a mission to make life work for me.

I traveled around like a Gypsy Mermaid spending every moment of time exploring, learning, growing, and creating, as I found myself back in the comfort of Hawaii, I didn't really jump on the job hunt right away. Day-by-day I was trying to keep the adventure going, because I knew it was only a matter of time until the right opportunity presented itself.

I wasn’t ready to give up the feeling of freedom for the sake of money, but a girl’s got to eat. So until opportunity came knocking, I needed to figure out a way to get paid doing what I do best, playing Mermaid.

Ok, just kidding. Actually this is where I take my ballsy-ness to the next level.

If you’ve ever walked the beaches of Waikiki at night, you’d be sure to encounter some interesting characters. I’m talking everything from a violin playing Santa, to a tiny fedora wearing Guinea pig. These entertaining street performers use Hawaii as a stage to share their own unique talents with anyone willing to pay with the world.

Now as a person designed for the spotlight, this was the kind of stage that inspired me, and somehow my wild-ass imagination conjured up a way for me to get paid to play.

I slipped into costume and took the stage in front of a waterfall on a busy street in the heart of Waikiki with nothing but a smile and a bucket that said, “I Quit My Day Job And Became A Mermaid.”

You think I’m joking, but believe it or not, I can officially add street performing to my growing resume of life experience.

I told you, next level ballsy-ness.

Honestly, I'm at a loss of words when it comes to describing my paid to play experience, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet.

The best part of quitting my day job and becoming a Mermaid wasn’t the fact I was able to work my own hours, or even the fact I made more than $200 just by taking pictures with people. The real reward in this kind business was bringing a sense of joy to others by inspiring them enough to believe.

Everyone was able to see the Mermaid in me, because I was confident enough to see it in myself, and I began to feel that special sense of meaning our soul-searching generation yearns for.

Letting go of the money and finding fulfillment in the play led me to discover the truth— your smile, your voice, and your mind hold the undeniable power to bring endless amounts of joy to others.

Your only job in this life is to share these unique gifts with the world, and as you begin to put in the work, life will begin to work for you.

Trust me on this one because after I began getting paid to play Mermaid, opportunity quickly came knocking at my door.

Now I'm getting paid to play on a new stage as a babe who loves her brew.

Watch out Travel Channel, I'm coming for you.

xx Fins & Kisses,

The Waikiki Mermaid.