A few months ago I was out with J, a friend studying medicine. We were chilling nearby a lake on a windy day. He seemed distracted and so I asked him “how is medical school, are you enjoying it?” He smiled, stared at the grass for a second, and replied “I don’t know man. I’m not really sure if this is what I want to be doing.”

Photo Courtesy of skampy

I knew that look, the one he had on his face and so I asked him again “dude, you didn’t answer my question, are you enjoying it?” His answer was a resounding “no” and then he added “but maybe I’ll eventually start to like it.”

I told J that he didn’t have to feel burdened by the thought of being stuck in medicine for the rest of his life. Many people graduate with one degree and end up doing something completely different and unrelated for a living later on. One great example of such a person is Scott Adams, Dilbert’s creator. He’s someone who exemplifies the philosophy of passion-based learning.

J asked me how he can find out what he’s passionate about. I told him what I’m about to tell you.

Sometimes we do indeed end up liking what we study or do for a living and develop a passionate for it. At times however we deceive ourselves into liking what we don’t like. In psychology this is referred to as cognitive dissonance. Don’t fall into it!

It’s not easy finding purpose and passion just as it isn’t easy finding success. If it was easy, everybody would be happy and satisfied. It’s important to keep that in mind. The road to finding your passion is a bumpy one.

“Life’s a journey, not a destination” - Steven Tyler

There are many things one can do in one’s quest for passion. None of them will magically give you all the answers on the spot. It takes time and a lot of contemplation but once the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fit together, the feeling is exhilarating.

One thing that helped me and which I wasn’t aware of at first was going to book stores. At the time, two years ago, I had an okay idea about what I liked and wanted to do but the big affirming clue was provided by my journeys to book stores.

I realized that every time I entered a bookstore without the intention of wanting to buy a specific book, I would wander around in the beginning looking for interesting stuff. Initially, I believed that this wandering was just random and aimless with no clear pattern but when I paid attention, there was indeed a pattern.

I would recall which books I curiously picked and discovered that I consistently gravitated towards certain book sections in the store. Those sections were my hint. The finding indicated that I was on the right path as it matched with what I knew I liked.

That was a start. It can be your start. From there, one needs to narrow down the big-macro interests and likes into things that are more specific. Having a very clear goal makes the planning aimed to achieve it easier.

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