The Privilege of Passion

Do you have hobbies? Are any of them your passion? Do you love your job? Do you wake up every morning knowing that at some point in the day you will derive joy from something you enjoy doing, be it dancing, listening to music, watching a football match? If your answer to any of these questions is Yes, then you are privileged.

Throughout the day we engage in so many activities, most of which are screen-related now, which give us that extra dose of dopamine to get through the gruelling or relatively boring work we have left. You may involuntarily pick up your phone and scroll mindlessly through your Instagram or Facebook feed, watch some interesting videos on youtube, cook a relishing dish, finish a sketch, run a mile, style new outfits, apply that perfect eyeliner or even write a short heartfelt poem.

We need these hobbies in our life just as much as we need air to breathe. They give us an extra pump of dopamine. Imagine not having any hobby, what would you do in your free time?

Imagine not having paper, paint, a phone, guitars, or books...You’d spend all your time doing something unfulfilling. Quite often, it's not the lack of amenities but the lack of awareness that keeps us from finding a hobby or passion.

Passion brings about comfort, the contentment you feel when you do something you love. It’s important to remember that many people don’t have this. They don’t have a passion just yet or they’re devoid of the opportunity to explore and discover something that lights up their day.

“I don’t know what my passion is”- this statement is as troubling as a math sum you just can’t get right, maybe even worse.

Even in their 50s, people are frantically searching for a passion, just something that fuels their values and breaks the monotony of their day.

We strive to look for passion because we want to live a more fulfilling life and fulfilment comes when we do things that align with our values. This means that our passions are based on our values. Maybe you value the calmness of music so you love playing your piano, maybe you value knowledge from the literature that drives you to write, or you could have a profound appreciation for serving others and choose to participate in volunteer work. It can be anything.

Therefore, the quest for your passion is rendered futile unless you know what your values are.

It’s quite possible to figure out your values. All it takes is awareness. For some people, this awareness comes naturally, for others, it takes a while to acquire it.

Every time you make a decision to do something--buy something, make plans with someone, sit to watch Netflix, pick up a book to read etc.-- try asking yourself why you choose to do this. Is it because your parents wanted you to? Or because your friends thought it was a good idea? Or you saw that people in TV shows do it? Unless the answer to your question is ‘because I wanted to learn or experience this or I appreciate this', your decision is not going to bring you gratification.

So the first step in pursuing your passion is to understand your values and then you ensure that your skills and actions align with those values.

Having the liberty to explore your values and passions is truly a privilege. Allowing the rest of the world to define them for you would be wasting an incredible opportunity.