How To Determine Our ‘Passion’ In Life: Remove the Noise
Are you living your life according to your passion, or stumbling down a path because it 'seemed like the logical thing to do'?
This post is originally shared on my website here.
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Find Your Passion They Say...
There’s a lot of cliché info out there about finding a job that is your passion, but I don’t often see people giving advice on how exactly to go about finding that passion.
At some point in our lives, I think we all experience this feeling of blah, even when our circumstances are pleasant.
Maybe you find yourself secretly escaping the party early. Maybe you’re unmotivated to pursue that higher-level position at work.
You might start to think that you’re just tired, or you are getting older.
But what if your lack of passion and excitement were not because of you, but due to the environment around you?
We find passion in our lives in many ways: through our work, our personal lives, or in our relationships.
Whatever space in your life you’re looking at, there are always exterior forces at play influencing the job you decide to take, what you do outside of work, and what relationships you decide to keep or let go of.
Shutting Out the Noise
Maybe a parent thinks that you’re better off keeping that job with the dependable income instead of pursuing your business idea.
Your friends want to stay out late at the bar, but you’d prefer to wake up early to go kayaking.
You know deep down in your heart your partner is not right for you, but you’re scared because society terrifies you into thinking you might grow old alone.
How can you possibly be leading a life driven by YOUR passion, if there are so many voices diluting your decision-making?
If we really want to be making our decisions based on our best interests, which if you’re anything like me that can sometimes be a challenge, then it’s super important to do this:
Shut out the noise.
Change your environment.
Create a space where there is no one to hear and no one to listen to what you have to say or think.
It can be as simple as taking a long walk in a park by yourself (no headphones in). Maybe take a pen and paper to write out your thoughts.
Next: Question Your Passions
Once in your in your space, take one of your situations to assess—the job, the relationships etc. and ask your yourself…
Does this [blank] bring me joy?
Do I feel excited and look forward to [blank]?
Do I feel proud and happy spending my time at/with [blank]?
If you’ve got your pen and paper you can explore each of those and dive into deeper questions, but these are a great place to start.
While you ask these questions, make sure to stay flexible and open-minded with yourself.
Change in constant in life, and it’s OK if what you felt passionate about a few years ago has changed. Be compassionate and open to how your values and passions may have changed.
An Example of Questioning Passion
In my upcoming memoir, I created a massive amount of space between the voices from society and the people in my life by traveling across the world.
Though going so far is definitely not necessary, it DID help me shut out all the noise and better tune into what I was passionate about in life, and allowed me to build the strength to pursue those passions.
Below is a little excerpt where you can get some insight into what it looks like to start asking those questions about passion.
Today I’m taking you to Kaudulla National Park in Sri Lanka, where elephants roam wild, and the plains stretch infinitely to the horizon.
Oh, and for reference, the note about an elephant on a chain is about an elephant I saw earlier in the story that a local was using to sell elephant rides to tourists.
A Passion for Wildlife?
Kaudulla is famous for its Asian elephant population. At the entrance to the park, we pile into the back of a jeep and bounce up and down over the dirt tracks. We spot crocodiles and storks, and our guide points out a sleepy owl hidden in a tree.
The jeep rolls into a boundless field of low-growing shrubs and tall grasses. The soft wind whistles as it passes through blades of grass and cools my skin. These plains stretch for around seventy square kilometers, being one of the smaller parks in Sri Lanka—yet they seem to stretch infinitely.
We drive further into the open plain. Over a hundred wild Asian elephants appear in front of us, gathered around a shallow pond. A baby elephant tucks itself between two adults, making an adorable family sandwich.
Other elephants dip their trunks into the pond and spray water onto their backs to cool themselves. None of them pace back and forth. Joyful tears roll down my cheeks as I watch them frolic in the watering hole.
Seeing animals in the wild always sends a tidal wave of energy coursing through me. Like in South Africa and now Kaudulla, I sometimes cry from the emotional surge.
I believed my reaction stemmed from a strong connection to animals, which led me to pursue veterinary medicine. Now I’m thinking it might be something else.
Perhaps it’s being in the wild, not the presence of the animals themselves that fills me with happiness.
Staying in Toronto and viewing grad school as my only option felt like a chain around my ankle.
My tears might not be from joy but an aching desire to roam like these elephants. I don’t want to be a working elephant on a chain for the rest of my life.
Without the Noise
In Kaudulla, even though I was with two girls in the jeep, I was isolated from the noise of my past experiences, and the pressures of society.
The vast space of the park was enough room for me to wonder “Perhaps” there is something else at play—another truth to consider.
Wherever you are, I hope that if you are feeling stuck or at ease about your current circumstance, you take the opportunity to shut out the noise and question what is really speaking to your soul.
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Wishing you a blissful week full of adventure, love, and, joy!
Love,
Danika