All my life, I have wondered what my passion is and could never answer this simple question. I know that I have always wanted to be able to help people. But what does that mean, what does it look like? As a child, I dreamed of being a politician, a teacher, an actress. I wanted to be famous, so I could have big influence and do big things. I couldn’t wait to grow up fast enough, so I could be an adult and do the things that adults I looked up to did. For some reason, it always felt so impossible, so far away. I wasn’t interested in small impact and ordinary things. One desire that always stayed with me throughout these years was to write. The older I got and the more interesting my life experiences became, the more I thought about writing. But there was never enough time in the day to write. And of course, if I were to write it would have to be a perfectly crafted, well thought-out book that could get published and reach millions of people.
I still don’t know where this obsession with big impact and perfection came from. A few months ago, I saw an image of a woman trying to save some small fish from contaminated water one at a time. It seemed like such a meaningless task given the vast sea of fish but this woman had the wisdom to know that while she can’t save all the fish, she can make an impact on each one she touches with her hands.
I had heard from elders before that change begins on a small scale with you, how you treat your neighbors and your community. I don’t know why it took so long for me to get this but I am starting to get it now. And so it begins with my writing. I don’t have to jump into writing a book. It begins with writing a little every day and building on it. And it can’t wait till tomorrow!
Well said. I think some of the best innovations have come from people following a path that wasn’t supposed to make them money but was something they really believed in. It’s more about the process of creating something you love than the outcome.
Another wonderful article. Love the title as it’s so true. If you do a little every day it will go a long way. Reading 2-3 pages of your favorite book only takes 10-15 minutes, but it’s so much better than nothing. Running a mile will take under 10 minutes for most of us, yet when it comes to working out, it’s so much than doing nothing. The same applies to just about any project.
I think the reason that it’s hard for us to find our passion is because we narrow it down only to those areas which are considered career/money earning related. What if your greatest passion lies in something that has nothing to do with making money? What if you are able to create something wonderful that doesn’t necessarily sell? Does it make it any less meaningful? I don’t think so.