Being Passionate, Having Purpose

Many teenagers have absolutely no idea what they want to do once their school career is complete.

The career they choose should be something they're passionate about doing. I love to write, for example. When I say write, I mean holding a pen in my hand and writing. It has nothing to do with writing creatively. Yes, I love doing that as well, but simply put, I just love the act of writing. I chose teaching because it entails a lot of writing. Teaching English as a subject just makes it so much better; I get the opportunity to teach students how to write an essay or any other creative piece.

We all need a purpose in life. Our passion should form our purpose. Without a goal or plan in life, we will end up moving in many directions, but progress will be slow. When we enjoy doing something and we make it our career, we will always enjoy working.

The point is not to be busy. It doesn't matter where or with whom we are working. What matters is that we do what we like doing. It makes us feel good about ourselves. If we feel happy and useful, and we're committed to what we're doing, we will always be driven to succeed. We will look forward to going to work every day. Of course, we'll get tired and yes, there will be days when many obstacles will dampen our mood, but in general, life will be worthwhile.

A lot of people feel they don't have any purpose in life. They don't know what they're passionate about. Their negative attitude robs them of happiness. People who have a negative attitude need to change their way of looking at life. We can try to share our perspectives with them and, with a lot of patience and time, even get them to see things differently. If they are willing to listen and they're prepared to make the necessary changes, they'll find new direction. The truth of the matter is that no-one can really help them unless they want to be helped.

None of us are born with a passion or a purpose in life. As we grow, we meet people, attend school, learn new things in every subject that is taught to us and experience many things. We are constantly changing. We not only learn in the classroom, but also on the sports field, at choir practice, church, in the mall or at home. Our personalities are shaped as we discover what we enjoy and what irritates us. The difference lies in learning to strengthen our likes.

The secret to discovering our passions lies in being active. Whenever opportunities arise, we should participate and discover whether or not we enjoy doing whatever it is that is presented to us. If we avoid doing things or continually procrastinate, we will never get to know who we are and what makes us happy.

Many teens tend to look at what their peers are doing. They try to imitate others and listen to the suggestions of teachers, family and friends. No-one can make a decision for us. No-one can tell us what our passion or purpose in life is.

We need to find out what makes us happy and follow through on what we believe is the right direction towards success. Only then will we be free to enjoy our goal-directed and purposeful lives passionately.