Don’t settle. 5 Tips on pursuing your passion.
WHAT DO YOU DESIRE? WHAT MAKES YOU ITCH? WHAT SORT OF SITUATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE IN?
Up until I stumbled across Alan Watts I felt as if I’d never been asked these simple questions. I’d been drifting automatically from one chapter to the next, following the pre planned routes that society paves and promotes for us. School, college, university and then rushed into a full time job, how did I get here?
It didn’t feel like a bad place to be, nor did anyone question it either. I was deemed as successful by most. Twenty years old with a comfortable salary, renting and paying my way for everything with great friends and housemates to accompany it all. Now all I had to do was live the rest of my life… Right? I was left feeling somewhat empty. I’d joined the rat race, I’d conformed to society’s expectations and yet something kept coming to the forefront of my mind over and over again. After just one year of this lifestyle the routine had settled in…and I was beginning to wish the working days away.
WHAT NOW… IS THIS IT?
When I wasn’t counting down the hours till the end of the day I was asking myself this question all too frequently. Maybe I was just being selfish. I must just be going through an ungrateful phase and the appreciation for the job will return, but it didn’t. I remember being told “enjoy yourself whilst you are young, because once education is over you will be entering the real world”. I could afford new clothes, new gadgets and regular eating out but I couldn’t shake off the doubt that maybe this ‘real world’ wasn’t the right direction.
WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO?
Maybe if I truly enjoyed what I was doing then I wouldn’t be wishing away working days and always ‘living for the weekend’. If we are going to work for the majority of our lives then shouldn’t it be something your passionate about? As a result of this new realisation I continued to search for similar information and videos to motivate me into making these life changing decisions. I saved some money, quit my city job and I’m off travelling. This wasn’t a comfortable change in any sense, but what can you really achieve in life when you are drifting along in a comfortable routine?
DON’T SETTLE.
If you could fast forward to the end of your life, are you confident that at the end of the road you’ll be happy with where you stand? Now I realise. Too many people fall for ‘the society trap’. People purely working jobs for financial gain and not because it actually interests them seems like a very common theme. Perhaps finding something you are passionate about isn’t easy, but can you really say that you have actually tried? Are you tackling your fears head on? Have you traveled the world to experience another way of living? I personally cannot say that I have, so this is most definitely not me preaching from above. I am still searching, I’ve started questioning everything and we all should be too! I may fail along the way, but how else can I learn except through failure?
Joe Rogan talks about the society trap and how he worked towards his passion in this video:
5 tips on pursuing your passion
1. Think in possibilities and not limitations
Life is limitless. Many people limit their potential because they don’t want to spend the time it requires to get to where they truly want to be. They focus too much on the limitations which holds them back from the possibilities of what could be. Whether you’re talking about the possibilities of your career, the possibilities of your health or the possibilities of your relationships; you need to think about what you can do to achieve what it is you’re aiming for.
2. Only you can decide whether you are “good enough” to do something.
Self-doubt can be one of the main factors in people not taking risks or pursuing their passion, don’t forget, the expert in anything was once a beginner too. It’s better to start late than to of never tried, after all, the only regrets we ever have are the chances we didn’t take.
3. Do a creative exercise to find your passion
Exploring avenues of creativity to find your passion is likely the quickest route to increase your chances of launching a successful business. Where to start? Here are five exercises to help you uncover your passion. Even topics in which you talk about with your friends or family more than others can give hints of areas of interest that could withhold what you would love to do.
4. What if money were no object?
If money was not a factor, how would you spend your days? How do you currently enjoy spending your free time? Painting / drawing / photography / cooking / exercising / writing… anything, all with which focus and investment of time could be turned into a career.
5. Never give up.
There are going to be times when you feel like quitting and the comfort zone calls for your return, that’s a good sign, keep moving forward. It’s how we handle the worst moments that ultimately determine our success. Even if you haven’t found your passion, keep trying new things and experimenting. You never know what is round the corner or what opportunities will arise from new situations you never foresaw yourself being in. It is never too late to chase what you have always wanted to do, so… never give up.
“As men grow old enough to look back on their lives, any pain they have does not come from the things at which they failed, but the things they never tried.” – Antwan McLean
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