Pursue what you’re always thinking about.
I am always, always thinking about music. It’s how I know I pursued the right career.
I think this is more important for a career than any innate gifts or aptitude. A skilled performer who can go for weeks without practicing their craft won’t get as far as an unskilled performer who thinks about their craft all the time.
My son is a gifted lighting designer and programmer, and he’s following his dreams. But the reason I know he’s going to be successful is because he repeatedly expresses that he’s thinking about lights from the moment he wakes up till his head hits his pillow.