How to Find Your Passion in Life ?

To be honest, I don’t know.

I’ve done a lot of reading from career books to numerous passion tests to people’s testimonies, but I haven’t found that click for myself yet. Questions like what would make you jump out of bed every morning are asked. Though they may seem simple, it can be rather quite difficult to pinpoint what exactly is it that makes you jump out of bed. Say you are eager to go out for a hike, what is it that really excites you? Nature? The feeling of accomplishment? The company you go with? Or maybe even the need to escape from your everyday life?

So if you are excited for a hike, it may not mean that it is something you like. On the contrary hiking may not even be your thing, but just wanting to spend time with friends may make you feel like it’s the hike that you are going for. Over the course of time I’ve realized that finding your passion is not something you can accomplish by doing a test; it requires deep introspection and analyzing yourself inside out combined with the patience of a turtle.

Photo by Gary Christenson

Though I know that there is definitely something missing in my work life, I can’t seem to determine what. Now don’t get me wrong, I like what I do, I mean I chose it didn’t I? It pays my bills, puts my education to good use and even buys me a lot of comfort. But even though I very consciously decided to pursue this, I just can’t seem to fall in love with it.

I constantly have this strong desire to escape out of the rat race and pause for a moment, analyze what I am doing and then decide if I want to continue doing it. If not, then break free from the world of norms, and do what my heart really desires. Though understanding the heart can be a challenge in itself!

Why is the world so structured with infinite unsaid rules? Why does society judge you if you don’t follow the norms. I don’t want a job in a Fortune 500 company and I don’t want to be living under a mortgage for the rest of my life. I’d rather walk across continents sharing a smile and sleep under the wisdom of a thousand year old tree. I’d rather climb mountains and swim oceans. I’d rather let the infinite energy flow through me, vanishing materialistic and societal desires and just let me ‘be’.

As Boman Irani has elegantly put: To find ones calling. Not the easiest thing in the world to do, but probably the most important; I have learnt that though I may not know what my passion in life is, though I may not know which road to take, though I may not know who to travel with, I do know that I’ve just got to keep swimming in the hope of finding the treasure lost deep within me.