Friday, January 30, 2009

Fulfillment Is Not Just About Passion



So I'm watching Oprah today and she makes the statement, "Find what you are passionate about and figure out a way to make money doing it. This is how you will have a fulfilling life." Wow. Pretty simple, I guess. Yeah right. If you are fortunate enough to really figure out what you are passionate about, and if you can actually figure out a way to make money doing it -- this might be possible. Part of my problem is that my passions change. I'm in social work. I thought this was my passion, and slowly it just became my job. I don't know if this was my own fault or just life. Sometimes I think that when we actually get paid, and have expectations placed on our passions -- we lose the "passion" in all of it. For example, I love to write. I have always loved it. I love the feeling of formulating my thoughts in such a way that it moves whoever is reading it. I love the feeling of finishing something I've written, reading back over it, and feeling like I have conveyed exactly what is in my head and my heart. But, I wonder if I would have the same excitement if it was expected because their was a paycheck waiting for me? Sometimes I think our passions just come out of who we are, and we can't help but do them. Our jobs are what we make money at. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are tons of people out there that truly feel that they are getting paid for their passion, and that's amazing. However, for those of us that don't --- it's okay. I know lots of people who live life thinking they've made some huge mistake because the career they've chosen isn't their "passion." Let it go. Maybe you aren't supposed to be "fulfilled" by making your passion your job. Maybe, just maybe --- you have this passion to help others or make a difference with no strings attached -- just because you love doing it. Passion does not always equal our source of income, and that is perfectly okay. I never want to limit myself to only being able to find my fulfillment in one area of life. I am way to complex a person to say that my job or even my passion fulfills me.

1 comments:

Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom said...

Wow, I've been having such a hard time trying to figure out some of these same issues lately, and wondering if a career can ever match my passions, and how to even pinpoint what they are, and wondering if fitting a 'job' to them even if I *did* know what they were would just end up stifling them. I'm still grappling over here, but your post was really encouraging. Thank you!