The Power of Elimination

Finding Your Passion by Finding Yourself.

Do you know that question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Yup, the question you’re asked constantly as a child. It was always answered with astronaut, until you had trouble with math, or chef, until you burnt your pop-tart and were late for the bus. Oh wait, I could be a bus driver. At what point are we supposed to have the answer. As adults, this question still baffles most. I for one have spent a lot of time in search of exactly what I want to do with my life. In search of my passion, my driving force, something I would be willing to suffer for. It was never a question of having a passion. I’ve always “known” that there was something I was meant for. The frustrating part was having no clue what that thing was, or where to start.

So, who are YOU?

How do you define yourself, and why is that important? Passions and successes are defined from the inside out. To truly find joy in our careers, relationships, and experiences we must first know who we are and what we care about. The first step to self-actualization, however; is to discover who we are not. It often takes heading in the wrong direction or down the wrong path in order to spark this process. Think back to when you were a kid. There was always a reason to change your answer. Something more interesting came along, Jimmy was a jerk and you don’t like jerks, etc. You got rid of the unnecessary.

What’s stopping you now?

I know, I know. As an adult, you can’t just get rid of the things you don’t like. You have bills to pay, responsibilities, and even worse… you don’t even know what your passion is! If there is nothing in your life that you would “suffer for”, try giving yourself permission to experience new things. You will have successes, failures and most importantly, find yourself in the process.

Remember that finding your passion is rarely an aha moment and more of a process of elimination. It involves experimentation with different professions, skills and hobbies. It is the constant pursuit of new interests. it’s a process of adding new classes, learning new skills, volunteering, and staying outside of your comfort zone. Then removing the unnecessary burdens that are weighing you down. This process will narrow down the things that you are truly passionate about, and who knows you might be an astronaut after all.

So, what do you want to be when you grow up?

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