We’re often told to “Find your passion!” Others tell us to forget passion, and find our purpose – the feel good factor may come once we discover what is meaningful. Even if the best path lies somewhere between the two, such advice can feel like a lot of pressure.
If so, we can find a starting point in the softer idea of potential. We may not yet have answers, but we can look for clues. We might now have a clear direction but we can discover stepping stones worth exploring.
We can pay attention to what sparks an interest in us, tune in to what gives us a feeling of energy, excitement, wonder or adventure. And we can also notice what feels valuable or fulfilling. We can look for evidence of what is genuinely helpful, where we can see that it makes a difference to other people’s lives.
If there’s an overlap between the two, even better. It might be worth investigating further. If there isn’t, or there are too many overlaps, we can look for something that is good enough for now – an experience that might lead to more options later.
Perhaps there is a key criteria like feeling intrigued or pays the bills without burning us out. We might want to choose a next step that aligns with a value or introduces us to interesting people or learning.
What we really need is a place to start. And do that. And then do that some more. And then see where that takes us. Because the real learning will come from the doing, not from the finding.
Helen Mentha 