Passion and finding purpose is a state of mind

My high school son was struggling with an essay on “Your Passion & Purpose”. We had a long discussion and he asked me “Mom, did you know what your purpose was or what you would land up pursuing when you were 15 years old?” I reflected on a similar discussion with a senior woman professional I was coaching on her struggle in finding her passion and purpose as well. 

So often we find ourselves living a life that we think we should be living because we’re so influenced by our surroundings, the people around us. We fit ourselves into a mould of expectations (or what we think others expect) and find out that this actually isn’t us.

I spent many years feeling discontent about my life and another few years thinking about what I should do with it without acting on it. Now I realize, the thinking was just my ego talking. Every time I think about who I should become, what I should do, what is right for me, my ego takes over and it is not the authentic me anymore. Quitting my cushy corporate career to become a social entrepreneur was a decision which came from my restlessness and not from finding the purpose of my life. There was no looking back post that. This led me to believe

“Thinking is pointless, I just have to act fearlessly”

Purposes change and vary over time as we further develop and grow. Purpose comes in varying sizes and packages, and it’s not a one size fits all. You’re likely to have more than one purpose over time, some will be big, some will be small. We don’t live singularly focused lives anymore, we live in a world full of opportunity, offering multiple ways of living and maybe along the way, finding this thing we call purpose.

"Passion, or finding purpose is a state of mind"

Transitioning three careers in my life, I have realised I have been equally passionate and purpose-driven in all three. Learning new things, helping teams and business thrive, creating impact in a small way, building relationships and being purpose-driven in whatever you do every day, is a way to be passionate about what you do.

 I advised both my son and my coachee the same mantra: “While the whole world tells you to find your passion or purpose, more folks find purpose in everyday mundane tasks of their lives. Not everyone is lucky to find a passion and do a job which they love but that’s ok too”.

Time is the most important resource you have. No matter who you are, you're given twenty-four hours, so try to make the most of it! It’s a journey that is important and not the destination - and might as well have fun while treading on the path.