T H I R T E E N

BE CAREFUL FINDING YOUR PASSION

Something that I struggled with when I first found out that being an adult and working every day made me miserable was the word passion. NOT EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THEIR PASSION IS. Not everyone has a specific passion. Passions can change. It takes time to figure out your passion, and you have to dip your toes in multiple things to figure which excites you the most. 

Looking back, this whole American concept of finding my passion played a part in me being miserable. It created a lot of anxiety. I grew up watching my dad in a career he was passionate about and loved every single minute of it. Somewhere in my brain, I created the idea that I needed to feel the same about my job. The opposite came true. I was miserable when my alarm clock went off in the morning; it was like hearing nails scraping a chalkboard. 

The fact that we’re supposed to know what we want to do for 47 years at 18 is laughable. Maybe when people weren’t living as long, it was more acceptable to choose a career right away. But now, life expectancy is longer, so picking a career at 18 needs to be changed. I’m 30 and am just now starting to find my place in the world. If you are stuck on figuring out your passion, I highly recommend watching the movie Soul by Disney. It was a very well-thought-out movie and helped me form new thoughts about the topic of passion. 

Starting out, instead of finding a career that aligns with your passion, becoming aware of your personality and the environment you thrive in is a massive step in the right direction (something I didn’t do). 

Doing this will coordinate you with your interests and allow you to have some excitement for going to work. I look at all the different careers that correlate with my personality, and I definitely could see myself enjoying all of the jobs listed under ENFP careers. 

Passion is a robust American word and a word that I have beaten myself up about for several years because I couldn’t figure out my passion. I always get very emotional when I witness someone pursuing their passion. It’s one of the most beautiful things to me to see someone dive so deep into a subject that they can’t stop thinking about. It tends to bring me to tears. I realized that one of my passions is to watch someone else succeed at what they’ve dedicated themselves to; it brings me extensive joy.

Be aware that even though someone is doing something they are incredibly passionate about doesn’t mean they will experience levels of happiness that those who are supposedly passionless can’t experience. You always hear about celebrities who tragically took their lives due to depression.

One of my favorite artists, Mac Miller, died of an accidental drug overdose at 26. His passion was music, and he was living his passion but still needed an escape from reality in the form of drugs. Anthony Bourdain’s passion and career were food, but he still committed suicide. When you reach the top level in the field that you were so passionate about, are the emotions you get long-term or short-term? From what I’ve noticed, they are more short-term than you think. 

This notion of having one big passion is leading to more harm than good. There is far too much emphasis put on the word passion, to the extent that every day someone isn’t doing what they’re passionate about, they are supposed to be depressed and work harder for their passion.

Unfortunately, while they are working harder on their passion, they become obsessed with it and miss out on life. A synonym for passion is joy, and I like that word much better. Every day you should be able to find joy in something, little or big. 

So yes, I may be quote-unquote passionless in American terms, but I have come to see it another way. I have joy every day. A joy that is long-term and obtainable no matter what. 

On rainy days, my joy comes from listening to the sound of rain, the smell after heavy rainfall, looking at the contrast of colors that the greenery compared to the gray skies create, watching animals come out of hiding once the rain subsides, experiencing thunderstorms with loved ones and cozying up in front of a fireplace with a good book to read. 

On sunny days my joy includes golfing, hiking, beaches, lakes, reading a book while lying in the sun, watching birds and butterflies float through the sky, and witnessing sunsets. Some days I enjoy reading about neuroscience. Other days my joy will be playing the piano or guitar. I get bursts of joy learning about finance and saving money, other times, adventuring, traveling–hence why I’m terrible with my money. My most immense joy is pizza. Finding joy in the things that surround me in the here and now is my passion. 

F O U R T E E N

THE SHORT GUIDE TO 30