Many people have either said or heard the brief exhortation to “Follow Your Passion”. It sounds like great advice without actually imparting any insight on how to achieve this. Those three simple words really give no direction in and of themselves. Most of us receiving this “advice” will smile, nod our head, and maybe say “Thanks”. We rarely stop to think about what that means; we usually just let it roll off and we go on with our life.
Unfortunately, that might be the completely wrong response. This could be an occasion to look within to examine the various paths that lay before us. The advice to “Follow Your Passion” is usually offered at a time of personal change. Typical opportunities to pass along this advice include graduation from high school or college, the potential shifts in a job or career, and other periods of possible upheaval in our life. These opportunities for introspection and change are perfect to evaluate where we have been, where we want to go, and the best way to achieve that end.
It is incumbent on us in these periods of change that we determine how to identify and define our “passion” and the best way to “follow” that. We can try to minimize the impact of this change period or we can embrace it as a chance to grow in positive directions. Finding that passion may be as easy as identifying what we are good at doing and working out a way to make that a focus area. Sometimes we may be in the situation where there are several areas where we excel and that we enjoy. That happy dilemma can focus us to rank and prioritize our abilities and interests. We could choose one main focus with several side additions, or we may be able to blend multiple aspects into a hybrid path. In any case, the choices and the follow-through will be unique to you.
For example, this website and blog allows me to pursue (and share with you) two of my passions; writing and photography. The combination of both gives me the ability to focus on different aspects at various times as I am moved by what I see or write. Sometimes I write a piece that requires me to go outside in search of an appropriate image to accompany what I wrote. Other times it is the image that compels me to put pen to paper (yes, I always write my first several drafts by hand). Any time I go somewhere I have a pen, pencil, and note cards at a minimum. Usually I have various writing utensils, a mini legal pad (5in X 8in), and a bound notebook. Many times I am also in possession of at least one camera. So no matter when or where the inspiration or situation moves me to write and/or photograph, I am prepared for either or both.
Following your passions can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make it. No two people will approach or pursue this self-discovery in the same way, just as no two people will end up in the same place when they finish their own process. It can be a freeing exercise to examine yourself closely. You have the opportunity to decide what it all looks like for you. The next time someone advises you to “Follow Your Passion”, accept the freedom where you can nurture something within yourself that brings you joy, manifest that in your life, and share it with others. You never know how it will look until you do it.