From our first day of entering primary school to the day we pass out to leave school, and even beyond that, one question is continuously asked from us: what do you want to do in life? By this, it is generally meant: What do you want to do for a job? For some, it can be a straight forward question, because they can strongly relate to a particular field. For example, one may be interested in flying an airplane from a very early age, or he might have grown into it. However, for others its a much more complex question, with no solution manual to provide adequate guidance.
IS AN IDEAL OCCUPATION THE ONE WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT?
Ideally, yes. Our job should be the things that we love love doing. That’s because the way our job and our life are related in the present order of the world. An average workweek consists of 40 hours. No one can work 40 hours in doing the work that he hates and be happy in life. But what if you don’t hate it, what if you are indifferent to it? Realistically, that’s the case with most of the people. They have no particularly strong emotions towards their job. And that’s perfectly fine and acceptable. But it’s not the ideal condition. An ideal condition should be a job you enjoy doing. You do your best without being told to do so. You don’t feel mentally exhausted when you return home from work. Each day isn’t a struggle to get out of bed. Mondays are not dreaded. And weekends are not the only motivation to get through the week.
SO HOW DO WE FIND OUR PASSION?
Finding what we love is no easy job. It’s an abstract concept. We can enjoy doing one thing a particular day, and the next day we may hate it. So, it may change. And it can also be more than one. Perhaps you love to paint and you also enjoy doing math. So which should you pursue?
Firstly, give everything a try. Well, I mean, as many things as you can in school. Don’t waste your school buried deep under the pile of books. There is ample time for that. That’s what the universities are for. Schools are for experience. So experience as much as you can. And if you are no more in school and still unsure of your career path and an ideal job, keep searching. Yes, it will become harder as you grow up due to more responsibilities and less time to experience new things. But remember, finding your passion is one of the biggest investments you can make into the future. This whole notion was beautifully summed up by Steve Jobs,
WHAT IS THE RIGHT PASSION TO PURSUE FOR A CAREER?
Next, lets return to the question again. What should we pursue if we have more than one hobbies? The best way so answer this question is to give a hobby a significant amount of time. Most of the supposed things we enjoy doing only last for some days, or months. Your job is for life. So you have to find a passion that you can sustain for life. Some time ago I bought a table tennis. I loved it. Thought I should become a pro player. Now it’s laden with dust. So don’t rush in making a decision. If you enjoy doing something, keep doing it. And if you are still doing it with the same zeal and zest after 1 or 2 years, then you can seriously consider making a career out of it.
SO IS PASSION EVERYTHING TO LOOK FOR IN A JOB?
It will be very naïve to say that one should only look at passion in order to find the right career path. The truth and the harsh reality is, any job has to pay first. But not every passion is paid, or not paid good enough. But the good thing about passion is, contrary to the popular accepted belief that there is only one thing a person loves, there can be more. So even if your passion doesn’t have a good demand in the marketplace, don’t give up. Look for something else. The good thing about passion is, it’s not inherent, so it can initiate at every time at any stage of your life. You just need to keep searching. And for those passions that don’t get you money. No problem. Keep them as you hobbies. Not every passion as to become a job.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER, YOU LIFE IS MORE THAN YOUR OCCUPATION
Not everyone gets to do the job that we particularly love, though we should all strive to do so. However, if that’s the case, then we should make sure that our energy-draining job is not affecting the happiness of our life. A bad day at a job doesn’t have to be a bad day at home or with friends. Separating one’s occupation from the rest of life helps in having more control over our emotions and relationships, especially if the job is not particularly pleasing.
So remember, as long as you haven’t found your passion, keep looking and keep trying!
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