What if I find something that I like more?

It’s always fulfilling to find something you like – something that makes you want to wake up early so you can pursue it. Or makes you stay up until early because it’s even cooler than sleeping. And it’s always fun to do. And it makes you feel less trapped in some way because it’s like an escape from the everyday things.

When we’re in school we’re told that Maths and Science and Accounting are extremely important because we will be able to find the perfect career and be rich and buy houses and cars and love. And then you do what they say and you end up rich and you buy all these things and you’re happy for a while. And maybe you even like what you do. And you have happy children who do happy children things. And life seems great.

But what if you find something that you like more? What if what you had suddenly seems forced upon you and you want to escape from it… but really you can’t because you’ve already manifested yourself in it and you know nothing else and you’re terrified of losing what you’ve been building up to your whole life? What if you never got to be the most authentic you because society told you that it would be a lie?

Ken Robinson writes in his book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything that in doing the thing you love, you get to feel like your most authentic self. You find that time passes differently and that you are more alive, more centered, and more vibrant than at any other time. Doing what you love takes you beyond the ordinary experiences of enjoyment and happiness. We’re not talking about parties and sunsets and good times or laughter or beer. When people do what they love, they connect with something fundamental to their sense of identity, purpose, and well-being. It provides a sense of self-revelation, of defining who you really are and what you’re really meant to be doing with your life.

One of the most important things to embrace is the diversity of intelligence. If you don’t embrace the fact that we think about the world in a variety of ways – ways often different from those around us – you severely limit your chances of establishing yourself.

Sometimes the challenge comes from within – from the lack of confidence and the fear of failure. Taking a different path may also not comply with the rules and the expectations set by those around you. If you don’t have the encouragement to pursue what you love, perhaps it is time to connect back with people who are willing to support you. Perhaps you need to leave some people behind. Surround yourself with like-minded company. We were never made to face the world by ourselves. Sometimes you need to leave familiarities behind; take risks. Alan Alda says it best: You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.

One of the greatest things of the modern generation is that we can alter our lives through a simple alteration in our attitude of mind. If you change your mind, you can change your life. Changing your attitude of mind can allow you to become more focused and intent. To live in the moment. To become lost in the experience and perform at your peak. Your breathing changes. Your mind merges with your body. You feel yourself drawn effortlessly to the heart of what you were born to be.

Forget the if and the might and BE something. Happiness really is within your grasp.


(Robinson, Ken. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Great Britain: Penguin Books. 2009)