Following Your Passion

Faye

Faye

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Do you believe that people really need to follow their passions when determining what to do with their lives?

If yes, at what point, if any, should they abandon their passions?
 
In my view passions can carry us in several...perhaps many...directions. That does not make career choices any simpler, I know, but if you follow your interest/passions you will be gaining the basic tools you need to choose an initial trajectory and, with added experience, to make mid-course adjustments as life proceeds. The only thing you really have is the skills you develop...no one can take that away from you.
 
randomsomeone said:
The only thing you really have is the skills you develop...no one can take that away from you.
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They can cut off your arms. The only time someone can't take something from you is when you just don't care anymore. You should read 1984, it's so good and goes into this.

It can be tough sometimes because I have many passions or things that I could care a lot about. One thing that frustrates me is that I love anything in the arts but I wasn't allowed to explore them when I was younger. So all I want to do all day now is sit around and draw pictures.
 
Dragon said:
Do you believe that people really need to follow their passions when determining what to do with their lives?
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Yes because it is so tiring to wake up and spend the day doing something you can't stand for years and years and years. I'm only 29 and I feel like I can't take it anymore. I can't do what I'm doing right now for more than 2 years maybe without losing my mind.


Dragon said:
If yes, at what point, if any, should they abandon their passions?
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If you have people who are dependent on you to provide for them. Especially if you made them!
 
Dragon said:
Do you believe that people really need to follow their passions when determining what to do with their lives?

If yes, at what point, if any, should they abandon their passions?
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It seems I always hear that you need to follow your dreams in order to be successful...but who and what determines success?

As long as I make an ass-ton of money and society values my labor, then I am a success?

What if society thinks the things I'm passionate about are a waste of time?

And how can you abandon something if you're still passionate about it?
 
dream echo said:
1.It seems I always hear that you need to follow your dreams in order to be successful...but who and what determines success?

2.As long as I make an ass-ton of money and society values my labor, then I am a success?

3.What if society thinks the things I'm passionate about are a waste of time?

4.And how can you abandon something if you're still passionate about it?
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From Society:

1. Money

2. Yes

3.So what, produce stuff to make monies.

4. Be passionate about making money.

You should read the thread on Hyper-Individualism
 
The problem with allowing your passion to rule your life and all you do is that your passion can turn boring or become a negative part of your life.
Sometimes passions need to stay your hobby or your release.


This is why I will never return to working in the music industry. Doing so killed my own passion for music for a long time.
 
I think passion is the wrong word, I would say the key is finding your life purpose.
 
Sali said:
I think passion is the wrong word, I would say the key is finding your life purpose.
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Yeah, my dad says passion a lot and I hate it. Not a fan of him either. Passion makes me think you're worshiping something rather than doing it.
 
Hmm.

I never believe in abandoning your passions (or whatever term you want to use to describe what you love doing). However, that does not mean that you need to use your passion to make money.



(Though I think people who do find a way to incorporate their passion into their career are happier with going to work, etc.)
 
Galileo said:
The problem with allowing your passion to rule your life and all you do is that your passion can turn boring or become a negative part of your life.
Sometimes passions need to stay your hobby or your release.
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^^ I agree with this. Maybe in an idealistic world where we don't have obligations or stress.
 
Sali said:
I think passion is the wrong word, I would say the key is finding your life purpose.
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I would put it slightly differently. I would say the key is finding meaning in your life. Maybe this is saying essentially the same thing. I'm not sure. What do you think?
 
Norton said:
I would put it slightly differently. I would say the key is finding meaning in your life. Maybe this is saying essentially the same thing. I'm not sure. What do you think?
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Well I mean your path, what is it that compels you. It will be different things for different people.
 
Dragon said:
Do you believe that people really need to follow their passions when determining what to do with their lives?
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Yes.

I would also agree with those who changed the language to be life mission or life purpose, or some might call it vocation.

I think they are all different ways of describing what points in the same direction

Dragon said:
If yes, at what point, if any, should they abandon their passions?
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I don't think abandoning them is ever a good idea, but I do think it is always good to consider practical implementation. It's important to not let the practical overwhelm the passion, but also to not let the passion overwhelm the practical. It's a balance, not an either or.
 
Even passions evolve and develop; some of them morph into others.....some come out of natural gravitation to what we have always been attracted to, and other out of everyday necessity ( things we didn't know we were good at but are really now worthy of our interest and focus.)

I am having a struggle with a particular passion of mine that I will start another thread about.
 
bickelz said:
You should read 1984, it's so good and goes into this.
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+1. I'm reading it for the second time right now, which explains my being awake at this hour. I'm at the the part where the painting of the church falls.

I talked to this guitarist because I want to pursue music, and he said this gorgeous quote: "If you follow your heart, you're climbing a mountain with no top." I always think about that. Music is, to me, infinite, and the ways in which it could be interpreted and pursued are of complete interest to me.
I only wonder if I'll get frustrated with never reaching the top.
 
I haven't read 1984 since the first time(in 1983). I should read it again, I might understand it better.

I'm reading Po Bronson's "What Should I do with my life?" He addresses your same concerns, using various real people and their career changes. The overall theme of the book kind of points out that sometimes you need to have a career that is your passion, other times you can have a career in one thing with your true passion as a hobby. I think abandoning a true "passion" completely would probably cause many people a whole new set of "issues". I think in a few cases, it is just not "doable" to follow your passions. But if the door is open at all, I wouldn't give up on it while you can still work.
 
+1. I'm reading it for the second time right now, which explains my being awake at this hour. I'm at the the part where the painting of the church falls.
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that's the second most frightening moment in the book for me...

From when I was very young I wanted to be a musician, as in, a professional one, writing my own songs and with everyone knowing my name.

But the cold hard fact of the matter was that if I wanted to sing my own songs I would never get very far because I don't have a face that will sell cds. I've spent the last few years being the backup. playing instruments on other people's music isn't actually the dream I dreamed back when I was younger.

and now that I look back on it, I wish with all my might that I had spent my time learning something worthwhile, rather than giving my whole self to music.
 
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