FOLLOW YOUR PASSION!

Yea, been there, done that. 

If there’s one thing constant about us humans its CHANGE. We are constantly changing our minds, clothes, wants, beliefs, philosophies and passions. As situations and information change,  we change along with them.

I wanted to be an Astronaut at age 6, at age 7, a Mechanic (think Pimp My Ride ) at age 9, Sherlock Holmes. By age 11, I was confused, it seemed like I didn’t fit into anything.

So how do we follow a Passion that is constantly changing?

Okay, let’s backtrack a bit. What IS Passion?
Passion is a strong feeling or enthusiasm about something, or someone. I would define Passion as something that gives us fulfilment and happyness  (after watching Will Smith’s Pursuit of Happyness, that’s how I spell my happiness) and we can do it for the sheer satisfaction of doing it. There is one thing each of us is passionate about. In fact, there are a lot of things we are passionate about. Many times, the things we are passionate about turn out to be a passing phase, like the new Nike Air Max early this year or last year’s iPhone.

But how do we follow a constantly changing Passion?

We Don’t.

WE EXPLORE IT!

As kids, all we knew was what we were told by our parents, teachers, friends, friend’s parents, relatives. Our world existed between home-school-religious centre(church, mosque etc)-neighbourhood-occasion trips about-home, a very tiny fraction of the real world. When asked what we wanted to be in future, we would pick the profession of the coolest adult we knew; doctor, engineer, lawyer, dancer, singer, etc but our passions would often veer off from those statements.

I was born at the turn of the decade when PCs were readily available in homes. Football (Soccer) was every little boy’s passion back then, we all wanted to be footballers. I still imagine myself dribbling Messi and being the First African World Best Player. I enjoyed playing with my friends till my dad bought a PC. When I learnt I could play soccer without leaving my room, my passion switched to Computer games. I would spend hours studying the game and knowing the cheat point and players. I knew my games inside out.

I was and still am a passionate Pro gamer. Following a career playing video games would have sounded like a good choice. Or not. 6 dream jobs that aren’t so dreamy

As time and knowledge progressed, I grew to have other passions in varying fields;

Wildlife and Biology

Mathematics

Drawing

History

Symbology

Art

Mechanical Engineering

Innovation

Business

Problem solving

Writing

Speaking and Debates

Law and Justice

Fringe Science

Philosophy

My passions were all over the place. Science, Arts, Commerce, Technology, Government. When it came to choosing a career, I decided I would be a Mechanical Engineer, just like my father. That decision did not last beyond my transition from Junior School to Senior School.

Now guess what I’m passionate about?

Computers.

In 2007, mom sent me on 2 months computer training. During my training, I decided to be a Computer Scientist. At that time, there was no job description like that. I just saw myself loving what I was learning and combining my knowledge in various areas into my training. I stumbled on Computer Science and I knew it would be the future I wanted.

 Becoming a professional computer scientist 9 years after has allowed me write, draw, calculate, postulate theories, imagine, create and debate ideas-things which I am passionate about.

I didn’t follow my passion, I brought them along with me to my career.

You might ask, why the long story?

Because… Many things will continue to catch and hold our attention over time even up until we pass away. We can’t be fixed to a single microcosm in life. The strategies used to identify passions are too one dimensional. Carl Newport said, “Follow Your Passion presupposes there is an existing passion for you to follow”. 

Passion is not a basis for a career. You can be passionate about what you do but following your passion will not automatically translate to a successful career that provides you your dream life.

I can admit that there are those whose pursuit of their passion has led to successful lives but that number is little compared to people who stumbled upon something and became passionate about it through effort. E.g Steve Jobs. Another example-Me.

To engage a really good work life, you have to be really good at what you do. By systematically building a rare and valuable skill over a period of time you will get to enjoy the life you want. That is besides passion. That is EFFORT.

Where you put your effort is where you will get your passion and satisfaction.

And that’s when the money comes.

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Credit to Richard Muller on his answer What controversial advice have people given to their children

Credit to 99u’s Cal Newport on his video Follow your passion is bad advice