The road to passion and purpose

Once upon a time when I was asked what my passion was I would say that it was acting. It started in the year 6 school play of Charlie and the chocolate factory where I played one of the main characters, Violet, the obnoxious little girl who ended up inflated like a balloon and violet all over. I followed this passion into my teenage years attending drama school and participating in nearly every school drama production. 

I don’t know how it happened but as time went on I found myself drifting away from acting, and it wasn’t until someone asked me, if I liked acting so much why I wasn't aspiring to be an actress or at the very least participate in acting related activities?, that I realised that I no longer had a passion for acting, but for some reason I still led people to believe that was my passion. It made me question if we lived in a society where your passion defines you. 

My thoughts were highlighted when I decided to actively change my answer but couldn’t find the right one. The environment and human rights were the first thoughts which came to mind, they were noble and respectable, and causes that I would like to be affiliated with.  However although I did care about those things I wouldn't call them my passion. 

When I imagine my passion I think about something I couldn’t live without, the thing I enjoyed to do the most, the thing that was always on my mind, the thing that motivated me every day. Like acting did. 

Without a passion my life felt empty and meaningless, it was quite ironic, I had been passionless for years without realising but acknowledging that fact was difficult. Eventually I ended up resenting the question “What are you passionate about?”.

When people around you are finding their passion you can’t help but feel lost. Living in the age of social media it’s not a question you can easily avoid,  where there is always someone on your feed sharing their passion.

But I've come to realise that there will be a day when I wake up and realise, this is it! This is my passion. It is important to remember like with all things in life, we all bloom differently. Some people find their passion at a young age and that will remain their passion until the end, some people find new passions along the way. Others haven’t found their passion yet and may not do until they're old and grey but that’s okay. We should all take today as it comes and enjoy the things we do even though we are not passionate about it. 

That's the beauty of life, finding pleasure in all things. 

Writtem By Debi Ajulo

https://www.instagram.com/debriinaa/