Mar 15 /18
We've always made surveys and questionnaires available to students throughout their high-school years as a way of trying to help each one find a pathway to their future. Somehow, as adults, we forget how to go about discovering new opportunities for ourselves. We forget how to find out what really motivates us - what our passion is.
I've followed an old adage from song-writing (writer's craft courses and other forms of creative expression all have similar strategies) for overcoming blocks - Start Where You Are. Don't go madly off in all directions, and don't wait for the sky to fall. Start.
That simple principle is really a form of the proverb: A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step (from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu). The most difficult part of changing a direction in your life is the first step.
So, how do you take that first step in finding out what really brings you joy and energy - the passion in your life? Start.
My advice is to take some time to think about what you wish you might have done if you had the time to try something other than what you are currently doing with your life. Try not to think of things that require a major investment of time or money because once your start thinking those thoughts you become quickly immobilized, waiting for the right amount of money to get started, or realizing you don't have ALL the time you think you may need to start down a new path. This becomes mere wishful thinking and quickly becomes frustrating when you rationalize that trying something new can only take place when other conditions are met. Don't set up pre-conditions. Just start where you are with what you have available.
Instead, start with what you have at hand - yourself and what you know about yourself.
I Enjoy watching chainsaw carvers as they remove chunks of wood from a log and soon everyone can see what they are creating. It is a little like reading a good book - you become engrossed in it and wonder how it will end. I know that I would like to try carving like that someday. But how do I get to that place? The answer is always the same: Start! Start right where you are! So I did! I haven't used a chainsaw, yet, but I have started whittling. Sure the small chisels and blades are not chainsaws, but I figured the way to start on that journey was by trying something small and simple. Starting the journey required only the choice to begin. And I have!
TW
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