When I Grow Up…
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by Ruda in Purpose
Photo by Zabara Tango
Is it possible to live a life without passion? Can one go through life without a single passion for anything? It seems that I’m encountering more and more people that don’t seem to know what they really love to do in life. Most of my peers are college seniors, and inevitably, the most asked question of the times is “what are you doing after graduation?” Most will reply that they are seeking a job in a field which corresponds to their major. Some of these people will actually like their major and are excited about working in it. The majority however, are going with the flow and either say that they don’t really like what they will be doing, or they claim that they do with feigned excitement.
Then, out of this group of people who are not really interested in their chosen paths, there are a few who will know what they are truly passionate about. Out of those, some will plan on pursuing it at some level, and the rest will be to fearful to take a chance on what they truly love to do. I can understand these people, even the ones that don’t pursue out of fear have something to live for, they can still cultivate that interest in solitude. But what I don’t understand are the rest of the people that are uninterested in their paths, and also have no idea what they really like to do.
We as human beings have been able to use our innate cleverness to rise above the daily struggle for food and survival. At some level, I like to think that all this progress was made to give us the chance to attain a higher level of satisfaction. Satisfaction that is gained through pursuing to do with our lives what makes us happy. The group of people that are choosing uninteresting paths are doing so out of necessity for money, for stability, for survival. If we do this, then we’re just propelling ourselves back to what we already broke away from. If we sacrifice our passion for stability, we might as well go back to hunting and gathering in the forest, because we are giving up our uniquely human opportunity.
The people without passion perplex me. What drives someone to survive when there is nothing to greatly stimulate them? Most people who don’t think they are passionate about anything might be overlooking important aspects of their behavior. If we took a little time to question ourselves, we might discover a hidden interest we never noticed before. Maybe passions are sought out. Maybe we have to try out everything we can in the hopes of finding something that truly captures us. Isn’t it worth it to take a chance on being rewarded our our work internally at the cost of a stable but suppressing job? Or at the very least, cultivating a passion on the side while holding a stable job. But with no passion at all, I fail to see what reason there is to keep struggling. I fail to see the great benefit in my humanity.
Hello! I suppose you couldn't resist trying to catch a glimpse of the person writing all this nonsense. If you want to learn more about me, check out the "About Me" page. Self-explanatory I guess.
LostinTranslation
Nov 4th, 2009
Ruda…I agree with you on how we sometimes figure what we assume to be a determined path, only to find out the path merges with areas of life we never anticipated….It’s funny how life works sometimes, for we embark on a journey of knowledge, only to find out that, while applicable to everyday life, it may not be essential to what our life purpose is. That in itself fascinates me, for we truly learn more about ourselves that way, despite the high cost of tuition!!
Additionally, I can see how people become slaves to themselves in that they just take a job for the sake of taking it, and sometimes stooping low enough as to deprive themselves, and the world, of their true gifts. I mean you’ll never know what you like until you try something first, but some things in life are innate, and we just know the areas will likely suit us at some point in life.
Lastly, it amazes me how far we have advanced as a collective whole in this world. I mean today in 2009, we can practically come into touch with any person in the world, and find more about ourselves than ever. While it IS shocking, and sometimes hard to digest, I think it is essential to embrace this concept in order to understand the status of our future selves. We no longer must conform to what we always thought, for we have others in the digital world who can help us discern our true calling!! EMBRACE IT the best you can, and learn that nothing is out of limits! Life is short, and we live in a confusing time. We can call the shots and make our lives whole, but we must work on doing it together. So thanks Ruda, you’ve helped reinforce the true feelings I have felt for years on just doing what just feels passionate…LostinTranslation
Sanjay M
Nov 4th, 2009
“If you have nothing to die for, then you are not really living.”