The search for meaning is something most of us struggle with.
Most of us spend years trying to find our purpose and lucky are the few that do. Often, it’s not because we are not sure of what we want in life.
Some of us are clear on where they are headed. You have your goals penned down and have an idyllic picture of where you want to find yourself when you hit certain milestones.
But why is it that few end up making it there?
Pursuing your passion can be a tough sport, in part because life doesn't always follow a straight line as we would hope.
But sometimes we might also get trapped in the notion that passion is something we will happen across at some point. And we are sure we’ll know it when we find ourselves in that moment.
But is finding passion a destination we end up in?
Sure, although not common, that could still happen for you. But passion is not something that magically appears out of the blue.
Even when you experience such a moment of revelation that sobers you up, chances are it is the culmination of deep introspection. A stirring of desires that have been suppressed for too long; sometimes, to the point that part of us gets numbed out.
Which is more commonplace than you would think.
Modern life has conditioned us to follow a set path. Go to school, get a job, have your few years of fun before settling down into family life. There are outliers to this, of course, and perhaps now more so than ever before when individuals are prioritising personal fulfilment over societal expectations.
And not to say a predetermined path is bad. Not at all, and it’s in fact a path many aspire to follow.
The point is it is easy to get caught up in it all that those goals and vivid dreams you had start to become hazy by the day.
Look at the world today.
Many find themselves working jobs just to meet life’s responsibilities. A Gallup poll the other day found that not only are most workers globally dissatisfied with their jobs, but the levels of unhappiness and disengagement were staggering. 60% of individuals reported being detached at work and almost one in five (19%) are miserable. [1]
It is not a coincidence that mental health issues are on the rise, and seem to be since circa the pandemic years.
The survey goes on to illustrate that while employee working schedules and location are something that many appreciate, workers are unhappy everywhere; not just at the office.
While many people are dealing with challenges of their own, is it because most of us haven’t found something we can be passionate about? Do we feel that we could be doing something more meaningful with our lives?
Flipping the passion narrative
The truth is, lack of personal fulfilment may be contributing to the sadness that is rampant in society today. But even then, it doesn’t serve you well if you get hung up with finding passion.
That’s not to say we should not seek fulfilment or attend to what we desire the most.
Rather, instead of viewing passion as some kind of starting point that catapults us to a happily ever after, maybe it is high time to start actually finding it through deed.
By this I mean discovering your passion through doing stuff; setting goals and making a conscious decision to actively accomplish them.
Of course, you need to align yourself to it by doing some soul searching. But it is not until we take the leap of faith that we truly discover it for ourselves.
Perhaps it would help to view passion not as something you have, but rather something that you develop. It doesn’t arrive as we wait for inspiration to strike. Rather, it is uncovered through action.
However, the approach does matter.
Passion is not a job, you see. Nor is it a hobby. Or sport. It is applying yourself wholeheartedly to whatever it is you are doing. You might just uncover it in the most unexpected of places.
But if you are busy looking for it, you could miss some opportunities along the way that could transform your life.
Similarly, just as it is not a starting point, passion is not an end either.
This logic bomb might be sobering, but it is possible to be passionate about something and still lose that passion. This can happen, for instance, when you outgrow something you were so passionate about earlier. It’s a situation you have probably found yourself in.
But look at this as a good thing. Good in the sense that life is dynamic and you are evolving as an individual.
That can only augur well for you as far as your goals and purpose go. You are allowed to outgrow yourself. And situations. And other people. And that’s fine.
In closing
Again, it is important to stress on this point. Just because you have identified your passion and are thinking of pursuing it does not mean success and financial windfall will automatically follow.
Remember, passion – while a powerful force that can propel you far – is not a plan. It doesn’t achieve anything on its own.
Regardless of how strong you feel about something, nothing will change until you take action on it.
You need to set goals, have a plan and put the necessary systems in place to realise whatever it is you are looking for. Then do it until you feel the need to do something else.
Dreams are beautiful, but they don’t come true on their own. It is the hard work you put in that brings them into fruition.
So, don’t fall into the trap of embarking on a never-ending journey of finding passion and making it an end game in itself. Roll up the sleeves and turn those interests into actionable plans that you can work on.
See what you find along the way.
Yorumlar