Passions

[Ryan_047]

I am struggling with finding my passion.Before going into my situation I would like to hear how you guys found your passion,and what was the path to it.I am really interested in hearing your stories,they might help me and others as well.

First thing's first..I am 16 years old and I kinda know what I like and I don't like.The subjects that I like at school are math, coding(and many things that are in connection with computers),physics,English and German(not my native languages). I also like psychology very much and economics sounds interesting(not read so much about it).I like particular subjects regarding history,like the world wars,the cold war and the religious wars.And,sometimes I can get interested in the politics of my country.

So...these are the things that I normally like.I thought so far that my passion is coding,but I don't really feel an big amount of pleasure while doing it.I mean,I like it very much(in fact,if I was to rank my hobbies,coding would be #1),but I don't feel "the drive" that people who found their passions describe.And to be honest,sometimes the process of learning coding gets frustrating,and I don't really see myself designing websites and programming robots for the rest of my life actually.

There was a time in my life when I got really passionate about something.There was a online strategy game that I've played for nearly 2 years.I used to enter the game daily and think about it very much.What I liked so much about it,wasn't the game itself,but it was the fact that I was a member of an alliance and that I was an important person for the alliance I was part of.Getting into a little bit of detail..I was like a "co-leader"(no,the game isn't called Clash of Clans).I liked communicating with my members and teach them how to play.What I loved the most to do in the game,was to establish relations with other alliances,I was the "diplomat".I liked recruiting members in order to form new alliances and get control over a certain area of the map.

I got to the point where I was respected by the most important leaders and by a lot of players(and I was only about 14 lol..and the average age for players in that game is somewhere around 20-40).This game was almost all the time in my head and got much ideas.I told this story in hope that somebody can relate to it,or give me some advice.By the way,please do not forget about the path towards finding your passion.

[Mariem]

@Ryan_047 ,

what i learned from this forum and the inner work that i'm doing is that what matters really is the quality of the moment, being conscious aware and connected with your true self...

once you get there, you'll have all kind of insights that will help you to find your life passion..

 

[Andre]

@Ryan_047

2 hours ago, Ryan_047 said:

Clash of Clans

I feel you on that game and I was just as driven in there. I disected the things learned from the game and asked myself how can I apply this into my life.

The game works on time. You have a set vision of reaching TH10 or 11 by now and you constantly upgrade to get better. So feep deep down ask yourself who do you want to be. If any thoughts come up Like I want to become superman but I cant(meant ti be outrageous). Ignore the limits. Think of the truly ideal you. Invision it. After dreaming for how long ever you want to. Commit your whole being to that path. People WILL tell you its impossible and youre crazy. But do it anyway! Remind youself daily of whi you want to be.

[Omega]

Please consider: Some people like math, others detest math.

The pleasure, the drive, that passion which you seek from doing an activity is not inherent in the activity itself. It comes from the meaning that you impose on the activity; Passion is an epiphenomenon. And you can change the meaning that you assign to different activities. Have you ever noticed that as you immersed yourself in an activity, you began to enjoy the activity more? This means that you have no inherent, or pre-existing, pre-determined passion. I propose that it isn't just futile or highly ineffective to search, given your current values, likes/dislikes, etc. for 'your passion' (which is work that you enjoy and find satisfactory?) - the search space is infinite, and thus you can never be sure to have found the perfect occupation. You need somehow to be okay with settling for your current, specific options.

Notice also that you relate to work in an egocentric, 'what can the world offer me?'-way, the passion mindset as described by Cal Newport. Once you stop the search for passion, you will be able to adopt the craftsman mindset, 'what can I offer the world?'. You may want to read 'So Good They Can't Ignore You'.

Stop trying to find the right work, and begin merely to follow opportunity.

[Omega]

On 22/6/2016 at 8:11 PM, Ryan_047 said:

I am struggling with finding my passion.Before going into my situation I would like to hear how you guys found your passion,and what was the path to it.I am really interested in hearing your stories,they might help me and others as well.

The story thing. I dropped out of high school a couple of months ago. A time of introspection followed where all I did was basically karate, reading and thinking. I failed to find what I looked for - meaning and joy. Now I am learning web development. What I have been most passionate about is math, something that I just always liked. Activities that I was not exposed to through school or family, yet pursued and developed a passion for, are mainly game development and karate. How I came to pursue these activities.. I am attracted to the values honored in karate, and I played lots and lots of games as a child. Follows naturally.

[edavis79]

I can relate to this topic. I have always suffered to find my passion in life. When I was in high school almost 20 years ago there were things I was good at accounting, business courses, computers not programming or anything so technical just generally good with using them and taking basic computer courses using Office programs. When I took accounting I was good at it so after I graduated high school I figured accounting was my path so when I went to college I pursued the Bachelor's Degree program in Accounting. Once I was able to finally get a job in an accounting and stay for a fair length of time I realized it was a little too complex and dull. So I had spent so much time studying accounting and trying to pursue a career in it only to find out it wasn't for me. So I began to think about computers again only to discover it's really too late. I'm too old and didn't get the right foundation early in life they put me in special ed classes in grammar school and junior high because when my parents divorced in the 90's I had trouble in school. I feel like this worked against me so they put me in easy classes setting me up to perhaps just be like a bookkeeping or something much more simple. They didn't believe I could handle anything more complex so while I did well when I took computer courses ( I took Information Processing sophmore year) and did well my guidance counselor didn't really stop to really figure out what would be best for me they don't do that. So here I am 36 and I still don't have path I should pursue for something great to do. My dad spent his years in the Air Force and then the post office for 15 years. I took the postal exam and did well so that is currently my next idea. I just don't know if that will be it. I'm starting to believe I will just keep drifting from job to job never finding my ideal job that I will love more than anything else.

[Ryan_047]

@Blaze35 Actually,when I was playing that strategy game that I've talked about I didn't had the egocentric mindset that you talked about. Basically there was a server with the European map incorporated and of course I've spawned into my country.When I spent some time thinking why I liked the game so much I realized that I didn't liked the game itself too much,what was motivating me to enter the game on a daily basis was my wish and desire for helping and making my country great.I also realized that I was thinking a lot about how the other countries on the map think and see us.Do they respect us?Do they fear us?I wanted to build a good team that can hold and defend my country.

Just to know,in the real life my country is extremely corrupt,many of our people are easily brainwashed and many more problems..We have a really bad reputation in Europe,and unfortunately we deserve it.I always wanted to help my country in any way,and that's the meaning I attached to that game.

So,basically you're telling that if I find an activity that I enjoy,and if I attach a meaning to it,that particular activity is going to become my passion?