Passion. What is it? Is it the fire within us that drives us to be better, great and successful? Of course, but what is your passion? If I was asked that question a year ago, I would’ve looked at you like a deer in headlights. I had no idea, not a single clue. I always had these grandiose ideas when I was younger that adulthood would be easy, finding my passion would be easy and finding my place in this world would be easy. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong.
Heading into college, I figured I would major in philanthropy since I knew I wanted to help others and I would just figure the rest when the time came. Turns out, I hated my classes and hated my major. After two years of staying in a major that I detested, I was even more lost than when I started.
Coincidentally, during this time I was taking an ethics class where we spent a large portion of the semester discussing passion and vocation. Everyone in the class, but me of course, knew what they wanted to do and knew what their passion or so called vocation was. When I was asked the questions, "Kate what’s your passion?" "What do you think your calling is in life?" I would just stammer and say “I don’t know. I guess something to do with helping people.” So for months and months after, I racked my brain thinking about my future and what I wanted to do with my life.
I wasn’t happy, I hated my major, and my life just wasn’t where I wanted it to be. I tried to think about where I wanted to be in ten years and what type of job I would want to have. I knew above all else that I wanted to be happy, truly and incandescently happy — if that's even attainable, I hope it is — and in a stable and enjoyable job with great friends and family.
It didn’t take me long to decide that sitting in an office cubicle under fluorescent lights in stuffy clothes sounded like a certain kind of hell for me. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but still I couldn’t see myself doing it let alone being happy in that type of job. I then began to think of what I was good at. I always did well in English and I enjoyed writing.
So I figured l would switch to a degree in English and see what happened. Well, once I transferred to IU East and started writing, I started to find my way. I finally knew what I wanted to do. I was passionate about writing, I was passionate about sharing my opinion and voice and I was passionate about working with others and helping them. I realized that through searching for my happiness, I found my passion. I can say that I am on my way to my goals and I hope to attain all of them in these coming years.
Follow what makes you happy. Find something that you not only excel at, but enjoy. What are you good at? Take those skills and combine them into something not only enjoyable, but lucrative. As the popular saying goes, love what you do and do what you love. Once you find and pursue that, all else will fall in place. Until then, keep working hard. I promise it will pay off.
