Passion Can Change

What is your passion?  Would you be surprised if I told you that your passion is not always linear?  People tend to believe that when one finds their passion, that is it.  However, passions can change over time.  What you may be passionate about today, may not be what you are passionate about several years from now.  And guess what?  There is nothing wrong with that. 

For some, their passion is a one-time thing.  For example, someone may be passionate about fashion, and become a designer for the rest of their lives and love it.  I love that for them.   However, for others, what they have been passionate about, may at some point fizzle out.  The flame on that particular passion is fading. 

At one point, practicing law was my passion.  I went to law school, did very well, and have been a lawyer for over a decade, and while there are some aspects that I enjoy, there are some aspects that I do not enjoy.  Understandably however, this could be said about any job or profession, even for people who love what they do.  When I would tell people that I believe my time is coming to leave the practice of law, they would ask, “Well isn’t that your passion?”  At one point it was, but that time has passed.  However, they could not understand this because in their mind, passions do not change, but this ideology is false.  I know that for me, law is no longer my passion.

People change professions and careers all the time.  I know a few nurses and doctors that have left the healthcare industry to pursue other careers.  In fact, one of my former doctors had been practicing medicine for over twenty years, and was absolutely amazing at her job, left the profession to pursue her passion in art.  Prior to her leaving the profession, she explained how at one point she was passionate about medicine, but she was now at a point in her life where she wanted to pursue her passion as an artist, which had been gnawing at her for quite some time.  While I was sad to see her go, I admired that she decided to pursue another passion. 

My passion is writing, and I can honestly say that on some level, it has always been my passion since childhood.  I have always enjoyed all things creative, especially writing from fiction to poetry to inspirational pieces and everything in between.  One of my goals is to write and produce a screen play.  I already know that it is going to happen.  When or how, well, you already know the answer to that.  I don’t know.  I have no idea.

Sometimes however, passions are developed overtime as we get out into the world and try new things.  You may discover something that is lying dormant inside of you.  Be open to new things; going to shows, an art class, traveling, and so on.  You never know where it might lead.  It might possibly lead to a passion that you did not know you had.

Life is short and there is no reason to stay somewhere if you are not happy and know that you are not living out your potential.  Just remember that passions are not singular or linear; passions can change over time, and you owe it to yourself to pursue things that you are interested in.  You do not want to get to a certain point in your life and look back and regret not pursuing those passions.  Go for it.  I believe in you.