When you’re extremely passionate about something — so much so that it consumes your body, mind and soul — it provides you with a unique direction in life. A passion like this transforms into a beacon or a guiding light, and your life revolves around it. Lucky are those who find a passion like this, because it is this passion that fuels their happiness.
So, I think it is pretty obvious why they say you should make a career out of the things you love doing the most. However, not everyone is lucky enough to figure that out at such an early age. What if you don’t really love doing anything? You’re probably wondering how that is possible. Well, I have an unrelenting passion for sleep, but no one really pays you to sleep now, do they?
How are you supposed to figure out what you want to do in life if you don’t have an undying passion for anything? It’s this exact question that leads to my biannual existential crises. And sure enough, as I get ready to hit 21 in a few days, my restless stress of, “What am I doing with my life?” has begun.
Being a Jack of all trades has plenty of plus points — it means that you’re well-skilled at multiple crafts instead of being the master of just one. But like most things in life, it has a downside, too. It usually is a sign that a person isn’t throwing their whole heart, soul and passion into what they’re doing. Personally, I’ve never had a burning passion for any of my hobbies. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading, writing, painting, cooking, baking, learning historical facts, studying mythology and spending hours watching TV shows and movies. And sure, I get obsessive streaks where I need to draw or cook every day for a week or two, but that passion eventually fizzles out and I find something new to move on to. It’s this lack of passion that has become quite frustrating in the long run.
The moment everything starts to go smoothly in my life, my brain kicks into self destruct mode. I start over thinking — yes, that’s another one of my many talents — and convince myself that I’m not satisfied with what I’m doing. The reason it’s so easy for me to come to the conclusion that what I’m currently doing isn’t good enough is because I am not truly happy with it in the first place.
Hustle culture has become the new norm for millennials and sadly that same work habit is being inherited by us young adults from Gen Z. As someone who is very much following that lifestyle I can firmly say that no, I don’t want to work two jobs for the rest of my life just so that I can buy vintage art deco jewellery or go on a holiday once a year. I know it sounds like my priorities are wack, but I’m not working so hard only just to survive, I’m doing it so that I can actually enjoy my life.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “It’s okay to be confused, you’re still young.” While I realise that this feeling is natural and that there are thousands of other people, of all different ages, going through the same thing as I am, it isn’t exactly a comfort. The looming dread of being a failure in life still hangs over my head. And I know that someone out there who is reading this probably feels the exact same way.
In my opinion, the luckiest people are those who find a passion that brings in the dough,like potters, musicians, photographers, actors, artists across the spectrum, jewellery designers to name a few. The rest of us who haven’t found a lasting passion yet are left to pick a career based on what our skills are best suited to.
While the past year and a half has been very glum for many, it gave people a unique opportunity that they never would have had otherwise — it gave them the gift of free time. Though this free time may have come about via unfortunate circumstances, it helped many people realise that they weren’t happy with what they were doing in life. They used this newfound free time to explore their old hobbies and some even found new interests. A few enterprising people decided to turn these passions into careers that are now gloriously blooming.
So, for all of you out there who are in the same boat as me and can’t zero in on doing one thing, I would suggest trying out everything that comes your way. I don’t think anyone can ever direct you towards finding your passion. The only thing one can do is put their fingers in as many pies and hope to find the apple pie that they’re searching for.
Written By Jessica Albuquerque,
A master of being a Jack of all Trades, A method in madness some may say. I’m just a girl on a never-ending journey, Standing on the precipice of my next big story.
Week 24, June 2021
