Passion is a beautiful word. I feel that it echoes intensity and conjures up images of being swept away, experiencing complete surrender and utter engagement. The tough part is when someone asks me what my passion is. For
me, this question is right up there on the list of ‘Most Complex Questions Ever Created’, in the company of ‘What is the meaning of life’, or ‘How do you solve world poverty’. It always deserves a long P…A…..U…….S……….E, as
well as causes a bit of panic and discomfort.
I think the challenge in figuring this out stems from the fact that a lot of us are burdened with expectations of being certain of an answer given a time frame, even more perpetuated by
celebrities speaking loudly and proudly about their jobs, how they live for and
love their jobs and how such jobs reflect their deepest passions.
But maybe this is why ‘work’ is work. Isn’t this
why Karl Marx came up with his theory of alienation and capitalism? Because given how the world is right now,
with most societies functioning under the capitalist mode of production, majority
of us work mainly to earn money (a means to an end) and are forced to take on
jobs that don’t really call to our ‘inner selves’, nor enhance us much in terms
of our natural talents and inclinations. There are some lucky ones out there and I'm happy for them...those who are completely fulfilled to the core by their jobs.
As for the rest of us, the not so lucky ones, I say, give it
up! Not your job, but the false notion
and expectation that your job/employment should necessarily reflect your
deepest passions. If you love food and
cooking, it doesn’t mean you have to be a chef.
Not every music lover can be a musician either or work in the industry. And what if your deepest passions don’t even
have any kind of paid employment to translate to? What if your passion is collecting crop
circle pictures? You can’t be hired by
someone to do just that.
 |
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/gafoto/250858608/sizes/m/in/photostream/ |
I went over to Sam's blog to read her interview of you before I commented here. Now the lyrics of "What I Did for Love" are stuck in my head :D
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a pity we can't "program" finding one's passion into a tidy little part of elementary school curriculum and save the next generation from what we had/have to go through? The best we can hope for is to become aware while we're yet young of what we're good at and hopefully also enjoy doing all the time. Then if we match up with someone willing to pay us decent wages to do it, we don't just live for the weekends.
But if it were that easy, I suspect it wouldn't be passion. We wouldn't give up things for it. We wouldn't appreciate it as much.
Excellent point, Marie/Scrollwork! The most precious things in life are really those that are not at all easy to achieve nor discover. I also wish your suggestion were feasible....incorporate a finding your passion course in the school curriculum.....oh well *sigh* Thanks for stopping by! :-))
ReplyDeleteInsightful post, Joy. I worked for the same employer for 30 years. I don't think I could call my work my passion, but I did enjoy my work -- most of the time. It allowed me to use my intellect and to accomplish something useful.
ReplyDeleteMike B: You have been fortunate then...to be able to use your intellect and be engaged in something you felt was useful. I think that is quite an elusive combination for a lot of people, but then again, it's all a matter of perspective, isn't it? Hmmm......
ReplyDelete