When you're young, picking a dream job is easy — you might want to be a firefighter, a chef, a doctor. As time passes, the rose-colored glasses remove themselves and these childhood prospects may change, but what happens when you can't choose? Before you throw in the towel, take a breath and read on.
The current generation is seeing the rise of multi-talented individuals trying to balance their various passions, hobbies and daily lives. This seemingly daunting task has students, entrepreneurs and everyone in-between easily plagued by ever-growing to-do lists, pressing deadlines and lingering anxiety.
Fortunately, it's OK to not have one single, finite path in mind. Throughout my academic career, I've developed an affinity for the sciences — biology and chemistry in particular — as well as mathematical modeling. What most are surprised to discover is my underlying passion for music, which permeates to nearly every aspect of my life. As a full-time student, part-time artist and journalist, my life has many different ideal outcomes; in a few years, I could be running my own research lab or I could be traveling the world on tour (hopefully).
Mikey Alfred of Illegal Civilization recently commented on how creatives continue to reinvent themselves:
"Every single classic person, every three or four years, has a drastic change. Whether it's their look or sound, it's usually everything. We can't be scared to grow, and that's how you keep your brand alive. Just keep growing, not holding yourself back. Keep influencing the world to be better, try harder, be smarter."
Complacency and comfort are easy to come by, but as we all know too well, life is short. Whether you’re an artist, a student, a scientist or something in-between, don’t be afraid to embrace change along the way to finding your passions in life.
I'm a firm believer in mind-over-matter; if someone else out there is making it work, why can't I? The toughest part is finding the perfect medium amidst the chaos. Anderson Paak, a recent signee to Dr. Dre's Aftermath, always references how he once lacked a consistent work ethic. By treating his music as a job (a labor of love, if you will), he grew to unforeseen heights.
However, be careful in keeping yourself too focused on work; there are people without work ethic, but even those who have it often forget to take the time to unload. Trying to juggle everything is no easy task but will definitely pay off in the near future. And even if you don't know what your passions are, keep exploring!
