Finding Passion and Purpose

[Catlover]

I'm struggling to find what I am passionate about and a purpose for the next chapter of my life. My first career choice was music. One day I said to my teacher that if I didn't succeed in music, I would become a psychologist. He told me that if I could think of anything else that I could possibly do in life other than music, that I would never make it in music. And he was right. After several years of frustration and then becoming a mother, I dropped that career goal and started to concentrate on office experience. I've moved up to a solid career in management, but I am aware that it is not what I want to do forever. I like the theories and study of management, but I have not found the same challenge and excitement in the day-to-day work of the positions I've held. I make an excellent income, but money isn't everything.

I've raised my son as a very active parent, and he's now a teen. I coordinated his professional acting career for a couple of years until he decided to quit last year at exactly the same time that my mother passed away after a lengthy illness during which time I managed her care and provided support. Caring for my son and my mother really gave me my sense of purpose, although my mother was very sick and I knew that she would not improve. In hindsight, it was probably not a good decision to get into a situation where the majority of the stuff that was fueling me was dependent upon others and not myself. I'm not naturally a person who gains energy from caring for others--just those that are very close and special to me. I felt a certain passion for the business of acting that was very energizing.

I realized the other day while reading on this site, but I don't remember exactly what, that I felt that everything I have been passionate about or has given me a purpose disappears but the routine of going to work every day and clocking in the hours never does. Therefore, I am more determined than ever to find something I'm passionate about and can make a lasting part of my life.

Going back to the wise counsel of my music teacher, I wonder if it's true that to be successful at something and truly passionate for it, one cannot even conceive of another passion. I still cannot reach clarity about my passion because I have a number of interests that I like similarly. They include Celtic music, multilevel marketing in the skincare/personal health area, yoga, walking and other exercise, public speaking and Toastmasters, as well as personal growth and the acting business. I've always thought that was a good thing--to have a variety of interests--but now I wonder. So, I'm looking for ways to gain some insight on this subject. One thing I thought about doing was to devote one week (in the evenings after work) to activities related to one "passion" and at the end, rate and compare them. Perhaps a clear winner will appear. I was wondering if anyone else had been in my situation and what worked for them to gain clarity.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Catlover

Therefore, I am more determined than ever to find something I'm passionate about and can make a lasting part of my life.

I personally believe that only a precious few are born with a unique but all consuming passion... and that the rest of us are more polyvalent and can have multiple passions...

And, I also believe that the essence of an evolved person is determined by self-mastery... and, self-mastery means the capacity to make our choices and take our decisions on a rational basis determined by internal factors... with little influence being generated by external factors or circumstances...

Which is to say... that we should be able to decide what our personal consuming passion will be... and that we should be able to increase that passion at will... if not, we are reduced to a robotic state and being manipulated by outside influences...

.

[ZHereford]

I agree with Shamou that most of us don't have one all consuming passion that propels us to achieve at the highest level in whatever that may be, however, we all have talents and abilities that we can employ in a variety of ways.

We can enjoy, develop, and express these talents and probably attain great satisfaction and fulfillment. I tend to think that the word "passion" is overused, over-rated and misunderstood. By expecting an all-consuming passion and waiting for it to surface, we may not recognize and therefore miss out on opportunities that are right under our nose. Everything in life that we experience gives us a chance to broaden our horizons and be more than we were.

[Tohami]

What would you do if your doctor told you that you are going to live for
only 6 months, how will you spend your time?

[Jill]

I think perhaps that some people are passionate people and will be passionate about whatever they do. And others aren't and won't.

To me, if you simply do what you like to do and not what you don't like to do, you can't help but be passionate about things.

I know that's pretty simplistic, and sometimes you have to do stuff you don't like, but you'd be surprised at how much of that you can "get out of" if you're smart enough!

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Jill

I think perhaps that some people are passionate people and will be passionate about whatever they do. And others aren't and won't.

To me, if you simply do what you like to do and not what you don't like to do, you can't help but be passionate about things.

I know that's pretty simplistic, and sometimes you have to do stuff you don't like, but you'd be surprised at how much of that you can "get out of" if you're smart enough!

Are you trying to tell us that you can't get passionate about filing your Income Tax Report... and things like that...???

.

[Jill]

Correct!

In fact, it makes my stomach hurt when tax time rolls around.

[Catlover]

I really appreciate everyone's responses. I'm glad to hear that you think it can work out to have multiple interests and passions. It is like lifting a weight off of my shoulders to hear that. I should not have been trying to press on in a way that seemed so difficult for me.

[OnionJack]

Originally Posted by Catlover

I'm struggling to find what I am passionate about and a purpose for the next chapter of my life. My first career choice was music. One day I said to my teacher that if I didn't succeed in music, I would become a psychologist. He told me that if I could think of anything else that I could possibly do in life other than music, that I would never make it in music. And he was right. After several years of frustration and then becoming a mother, I dropped that career goal and started to concentrate on office experience. I've moved up to a solid career in management, but I am aware that it is not what I want to do forever. I like the theories and study of management, but I have not found the same challenge and excitement in the day-to-day work of the positions I've held. I make an excellent income, but money isn't everything.

I've raised my son as a very active parent, and he's now a teen. I coordinated his professional acting career for a couple of years until he decided to quit last year at exactly the same time that my mother passed away after a lengthy illness during which time I managed her care and provided support. Caring for my son and my mother really gave me my sense of purpose, although my mother was very sick and I knew that she would not improve. In hindsight, it was probably not a good decision to get into a situation where the majority of the stuff that was fueling me was dependent upon others and not myself. I'm not naturally a person who gains energy from caring for others--just those that are very close and special to me. I felt a certain passion for the business of acting that was very energizing.

I realized the other day while reading on this site, but I don't remember exactly what, that I felt that everything I have been passionate about or has given me a purpose disappears but the routine of going to work every day and clocking in the hours never does. Therefore, I am more determined than ever to find something I'm passionate about and can make a lasting part of my life.

May I ask, what are you passionate about this isn't determined by pre-existing conditions thrust upon you? And in that I mean, think of what cause you would like to pick up that is bigger than yourself. Start with the end in mind, and work backwards, in preparing an organization. Let it start with grassroots, and grow into it's own entity.

Originally Posted by Catlover

Going back to the wise counsel of my music teacher, I wonder if it's true that to be successful at something and truly passionate for it, one cannot even conceive of another passion. I still cannot reach clarity about my passion because I have a number of interests that I like similarly. They include Celtic music, multilevel marketing in the skincare/personal health area, yoga, walking and other exercise, public speaking and Toastmasters, as well as personal growth and the acting business. I've always thought that was a good thing--to have a variety of interests--but now I wonder. So, I'm looking for ways to gain some insight on this subject. One thing I thought about doing was to devote one week (in the evenings after work) to activities related to one "passion" and at the end, rate and compare them. Perhaps a clear winner will appear. I was wondering if anyone else had been in my situation and what worked for them to gain clarity.

As others have mentioned. I'm of the school of thought that multiple interests don't detract from one another. Sometimes ideas and thoughts can co-exist and allow you greater freedom from which to work. It comes down to individual choice.

[Ak47]

Your name is catlover.

If that doesn't point you in SOME direction, passion may be hopeless. :P

[Michael Chui]

One possibility that most people forget to consider is that your various interests can spin themselves together into a single purpose. For myself, I'm constantly allowing my attention to wander into different disciplines and fields, studying those, and then re-applying what I've learned to the focus I have.

[justfiverules]

Catlover,

When I was a more serious runner in my 20s I always admired the multi-events athletes (decathlon for men and now heptathlon for women), and sometimes they competed against me in my own event - hurdles.

I used to think they were nuts because they put so many extra hours into practicing 10 different events like shot putting, pole vaulting, javelin, hurdles, 1500m etc.

But after talking to a few of them I realized that they were genuinely in love with getting better incrementally at each event, rather than being super dedicated to just one. And if they had an off day at the 400m they always had the discus or high jump or whatever to look forward to.

Taught me a lot about life's various responsibilities that did.