In today's society, it feels like there is a greater urgency for people to find who they love rather than what they love. Most people have an ever-present tinge of fear nestled in the back of their minds -- a taunting whisper that jeeringly insists that their happiness is dependent on finding love. But in my opinion, that necessity to attain this elusive "love" that lingers on the intangible horizon, is not a need to find a "someone." I think the love that everyone scours the corners of the earth to find should be a something -- something that ignites a blazing glimmer of ambition in a person's heart; something that satisfies a person's sense of purpose.
At the root of humanity, it is in our nature to strive for a purpose -- for something we can exclusively offer the world. Maybe it is to raise a family or to write a novel; maybe you were put on this earth solely to research sea turtles in the breathtaking Sea of Cortez. But I believe that whatever your duty in life is, it will simply make you happy.
As college students, we feel a heavy pressure to map out our lives -- plan the classes that will comprise our entire careers as students; involve ourselves in the clubs that will propel us ever closer to that emboldened X that marks our ultimate life goal. Compass in hand, we blindly navigate the dense world as infant adults, trying -- almost too hard -- to find out where we're supposed to end up. But I'm thinking, let's abandon the map, the compass, the plan -- and simply let the unpredictable flow of life lead you to your passion.
Though it's naive to think that somehow you're going to get whisked away without any effort and plopped onto your destined life path, the way some people go about reaching success and finding what they love is not effective for everyone. Sometimes, instead of following the detailed instructions meticulously laid out for yourself, try out a different route that will still lead you to the summit -- it's going to be a hike, regardless of how many steps you take, or which trail you follow; I doubt it will be easy. But -- as I'm feeling lost and unguided by the directions I set out for myself, I'm attempting to go about things in a different way. I'm not just going to stop pushing, but I'm going to push in an undetermined direction; I'm merely going to explore.
So, the next time a gnawing thought creeps into your mind about where you're headed and if you'll ever get there, remember that there is something out there that will make you happy; it might be covered by mounds of dirt and you might have to dig a little, but you can find it. Or, it will simply find you while you're carrying on with your intellectual excursions as you meander through life in every and any direction.
