They're just trying to take the well meaning but horrible advice of "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" (or some variation thereof) that they've been told their whole lives.
Unfortunately that advice is, well, shit, as they'll discover after embarking on that journey.
For a comprehensive dissection of why that advice is shit, highly recommend "So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love", by Cal Newport.
Unfortunately that advice is, well, shit, as they'll discover after embarking on that journey.