Bits and Pieces: Finding Your Passion

When I taught 8th graders U.S. History in Edwardsburg, the first unit of the second semester was on Careers. What do careers have to do with U.S. History one might ask?

Well, history is only one of the seven social sciences: history, geography, civics (government), economics, sociology, anthropology and psychology. Social sciences study the interests of humankind: its behavior and organizations.

The reason for the careers unit was to get the 8th graders ready for the end of the year when they had to choose a subjects/classes path for high school. My students took various assessments on their strengths and general inclinations.

Many wanted to by-pass these assessments and just take classes toward a predetermined career in their minds. Examples were lawyer, football/baseball/other sport player, doctor, or any path that they thought led to money and stardom.

This wasn’t and still isn’t unusual. After I explained all the work involved to achieve what they thought led down the yellow brick road and how few reach the end, we could move on. Something else I shared with them was something that a Kalamazoo company owner I knew had told me when I worked for Junior Achievement. He said, “Follow your passion, and the money will follow.”

Then, as a class, we discuss founders of businesses and the passion that got them there. Sometimes it is more difficult to find a passion than a career.

This then gave a reason to at least try the assessments and see what we could find. Most students were amazed to learn things about themselves and different careers that could fit into their strengths.

A system similar to this is how I deal with my passions. I didn’t think I even had a passion until I began to search for one. 

How did I get to be a teacher? I thought it was just a process of elimination. Back in the days, most girls and women had very few choices for future paths. Women were thought to have jobs, not careers, until marriage or not came along or ended.

An incident that I had forgotten was the time a high school English teacher had paired me with a new student in a particular project. A friend told me that Sister had asked her if I talked about what I wanted to do as an adult. Sister said that I would make a very good teacher.

During a college summer break, I took a class at Knox College in Galesburg while doing some work for my dad. It was called Expository Writing, and I found it surprisingly fun.

As life goes, we often find that changes are not only necessary but thrust upon us. Each change I made seemed (at least as I look back on them) to be following a similar path. I was either teaching or working with teachers in K-12 or training adults. All the while I was also doing much creative writing either for publication or training purposes.

Strange that I didn’t see them as a passion. 

My little sister had a passion to be a mother. She became a fabulous mother. She still is. It was fun for her, and she has enjoyed every stage.

Sometimes we are lucky enough to know or stumble on our passion. Sometimes we need a little help. I believe the important thing in life is to find our passion.

“Passion is what gives meaning to our lives. It’s what allows us to achieve success beyond our wildest imagination.” Henry Samueli

My passion continues in Bits and Pieces. What is your passion? Maybe you never thought of it before as something you have. Even if your passion is what you do in your “off” time, so that you can get through your daytime job – find or discover your passion. 

“It’s not enough to be industrious, so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” Henry David Thoreau, Letters to Various Persons.