Majors: I switched from software engineering to math and classics and later to linguistics. If I had the chance to switch again, I would switch to neuroscience. If something called passion really existed at some point in my life, it might have been watching and reading people.
Fields: I had done countless part-time jobs in education consulting. But that had never became my job, and what I enjoyed most as a job was operations roles in venture capital. I once built a community deal-sourcing program from 0 to 1, with the result that lots of entrepreneurs spontaneously came to us. Recently I'm diving into cognitive neuroscience and building on top of what I had.
Investment: I was offered a $700K investment a few years ago while ultimately dropping it. I had few days to decide between accepting that offer and going back to school, and that had been a real struggle. The younger self in me said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and suggested me taking it, while the more realistic self in me said that I wasn't ready to build a 1B startup. I went back to school with some regrets without actually regretting that decision (i.e., wouldn't want to change it if I traveled back), as I feel much more prepared now.
Decisions: As time grew, I learnt that there are no "right" or "wrong" decisions. Each decision just had its own consequences, and we had different problems to solve. When I navigated between working in a top-tier VC and going to a PhD program, I got largely confused, and had, for a time, surrendered myself to the greatest misstep in my life. Thinking back, I see that it was a stage of my life where regardless of what I chose would cause suffering (i.e., it comes from within), and while I am grateful for the opportunities and generosity the firm extended, finding a job is not aligned with what I truly sought. I ultimately accepted that scenario for what it was and switched my path.
Compromises: Compromises are tricky. It always took me a hundred years to give up something (not the case for my majors though), while sometimes compromises forced me to do it. I had to clear my old stuff before starting a new endeavor. But in general, I hate compromises.