A burning question sparked by one's curiosity or planning for the future is trying to figure out what you're passionate about. There are many who choose a career only to find that there's no passion for it and the tendency is to change in order to find that special endeavor.
Sharing from my own personal discovery, I was one of the rare few who knew what I was most passionate about at an early age, which was to help people learn math. Now, for those reading this and thinking, "how does that relate to art or creating poetry?", I'll expand further. Having a high affinity for numbers was great for the subject but didn't really serve to give me a well-rounded experience in life. I knew I needed something more to break out of the cliche of just being an Asian smart in only math and I found that in what later became my second passion, creating art through drawing, painting or writing poetry.
How I found my second passion was what I want to impress on you. I was willing to try different things. I engaged in a different elective, Art, in middle school which opened the door to staying after school to build a portfolio to audition for LaGuardia high school. Thus, art has been a part of my life since then.
In life, you will find many opportunities that will present itself in one way shape or form. Only you can decide which ones you want to take but ultimately the more you expose yourself to different paths, the higher the chance of finding a topic, a niche or an area that you'd like to explore further.
Here's some other things you should look for when looking for a new passion to pursue:
- Consistent desire to learn more about it
* Find a path where you love to grow and expand your knowledge so you become more of an expert at it day by day.
- Persistence to create or do it
* Everything worth having requires effort. So, it is better if it doesn't feel like you're dragging your heels and forced to make it work. Creating something you are passionate about should be fun and enjoyable.
- Willing to overcome adversity
* There will be bumps in the road towards achieving your goals as that is part of the journey. If you're prepared to push through despite the struggles then you've definitely found something you're going to pursue and succeed with.
- Never feels like you have to do it
* The worst feeling to have is feeling like you have to wake up and do a cycle over and over again because you have to pay bills or eat, etc. However, if you enjoy what you are doing and it will help you still achieve those goals financially, then that's when you know you've found your passion.
- The more you do it, the stronger it gets
*Like a fire being lit, if you keep adding fuel to it, the fire continues to burn. And the thing about your passionate choice is that every action helps to make the river keep flowing and the inner flame burning.
So, be willing to go out there, find out what truly works for you and it will be your new adventure for years to come.