How to balance your profession and passion

Young chemical engineer with a passion for belly dancing, Tarryn Rego, shared her own easy tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle, by balancing profession and passion, at the monthly East Rand Business Women (ERBW) meeting during April.

Before sharing her inspiring tips, Rego gave a breathtaking belly dancing performance to the ladies present.

While still catching her breath, she shared her journey on how she became a chemical engineer and belly dancer.

At the age of three, Rego’s mother encouraged her to start dancing, and since then, it grew on her.

Becoming a chemical engineer, however, was a decision made on the spur of the moment a few years back, of which she does not have a day’s regret, even though her focus has always been on dancing.

“Now this is the juicy part – how do I actually balance both.”

Rego explained that from a very young age, she started keeping a busy schedule and learnt sticking to it – making time for everything that has to be done.

“By keeping my schedule busy all the time, not stopping the momentum, I was able to do everything that I wanted to do.”

According to her, the next step is to keep your profession and your passion separate, as well as squeezing in some ‘me time’, without forgetting about your love life (if you have one, off course).

Rego suggested by maintaining the perfect balance, keeping healthy is a necessity.

“The way I am able to keep up with everything, is honestly by keeping healthy. I eat as healthy as I can – a healthy mind equals a healthy body. It is the only way to keep the energies up.”

Rego’s main point was that the show must go on.

“No matter what I am feeling, thinking or what I have been through. You suck it up, you get on stage and you smile.

“That is a bit like life. If you’ve got responsibilities and things to do – sometimes that’s what you need to do. You swallow, you suck it up, you put a smile on your face, you lift your chin and you carry on. Life goes on. Things that seem terrible now, might seem not so bad tomorrow.”

Rego said that it is the belly dancing that drives her and keeps her going, because she loves it so much.

“The chemical engineering is inspiring, challenging and interesting, but being able to live your passion is what gives you that endless energy.

“No matter the stress, upsets and humps in the road, I have this endless energy. And if you find what you are passionate about, you’ll see that you have this endless energy for it – it comes from somewhere.

“And you’re able to think about it and work on it all the time. So as much as you are all business ladies, we all have responsibilities and problems.”

Rego said that one of her other driving forces is the responsibility she has to look after her parents.

Many years ago, things went very bad with their family business, since then she has been caring for them.

“I am sure each of you has your own driving force, whether it is personal, whether you have kids, parents, somebody you have to look after, or just yourself – even if you’re doing it for yourself. But by finding that energy to just keep going, it will give you endless resources and endless success.”

She explained that the support she got from her parents through the years, also kept her going through the way.

“But the drive came within me, because I love performing. When I am not performing I feel like something is missing.

“The drive doesn’t come from the money. Yes, the money helps – every cent I earn as a belly dancer.

“But that’s not what drives me. If you find yourself doing anything just for the money, stop right now. You are just going to sink and I don’t mean that in a bad way, but you will not have the energy to wake up every day and keep going.

“It is so difficult to fight that. You’ve got to enjoy what you are doing. If you find what you are passionate about, you’ll find that energy, and be ready for anything that comes your way.”

Rego advised the ERBW to never stop learning and growing.

“I don’t give up on my dreams. I always try and think what I want to do and achieve next. Learn and grow until you die. That’s what we’re here for. Don’t give up, don’t stop now. It is not too late, you’re not too old.

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find the time, resources and opportunities. The opportunities are there. They’re not going to come to you – you’ve got to go for them. They’re not going to knock on your door just like that.”

Ending off, Rego shared a touching story about her and her belly dancing team who participated in a competition in Montenegro in 2013.

Even though they went through a lot of difficulties before fulfilling their dreams and winning the competition, Rego did not let all the negativity knock her down.

“Against all odds, I did not want to give up on that dream.

“So please, don’t give up. When it seems like everything is against you and it’s never going to get better, trust me, it’s worth that last leap of faith.”