Discover Your Path
I believe that we shouldn’t limit ourselves to a career title and claim it as our purpose because we are and can be so much more. Society has created this traditional belief that our paths can only be linear when it comes to seeking success. This type of thinking is part of the reason why mental health issues have been rising. It creates anxiety, causes depression, and enables the competitive aspect of classism…perks of a capitalistic society... I’ll dive into that in another blog. Let us proceed.
If you believe you’ve found a long-lasting passion, you might’ve found your purpose. As for your “purpose”, it is something you would never abandon, you’re spiritually and physically connected to it. Passion is more inwardly focused, whereas purpose is outwardly focused on the impact you have on others and your surroundings. Everyone is always searching for their purpose in life when in all honesty, you should just let it search for you. The true main purpose in life is to live. So if you just live your life, your purpose will seek you instead of you seeking your purpose. Simple as that.
Use your purpose or passion, to help you discover your path. When establishing your path, start with short-term goals. It's hard to come up with a long-term plan right at the beginning and that’s okay! Someone said, “A dream without a plan is just a wish” and can I just say that’s some bullshit. One of the biggest misconceptions people believe is that you must have a plan if you have a dream. As a kid, “What’s your plan?” was always the follow-up question to “what do you want to be when you grow up?” As a college student, when you share what you want to do in life someone always asks “How are you going to do that?” It is ingrained in us at a young age to believe that plans are requisites for success. If we could all be honest with each other and stop creating a false reality that we need to have everything figured out all the time, it would improve everyone’s mental health and wellbeing. Never defer from your dream if someone says you need a plan and you don’t have one yet. There are many successful people who only started with a dream and the plan just came along.
With that being said, the short-term goals are the best way to not only keep your eye on the prize you seek but will help you stay present. You can easily become too immersed in your path that you miss the journey. You can get so engulfed in one area of your life that you, unintentionally, ignore the rest. You have to stay connected to who you are and maintain balance as you accomplish your goals. Remind yourself that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Your friends and family are just as important as your work. If you can’t balance work, health, and social life, then maybe this path you’re paving isn’t the right route for you. I understand the need of feeling like you have to sacrifice something, but your health, relationships, and passions shouldn’t be on the plate. If you disagree and think sacrifice is necessary, I suggest you establish a realistic measurable time for that sacrifice and stick to it. Make it temporary. All of this is difficult to do, but if you stay present you can recognize when and where you’re shifting and make adjustments. If you don’t, you can become detached, could lose yourself, your loved ones, or your career. It’s hard to stay connected to yourself and remain present so hopefully, you have someone who cares enough to check-in or keep you in check along the way.
