Saying Yes to What You Love
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It’s early afternoon on a normal Tuesday. I’ve devoted my last 4 hours to the task of drawing hippopotamuses.
Recently, a wave of curiosity has been pushing me towards pencils, colors and paper. And I’ve happily obeyed.
If this happened 7 years ago, there’d be no way for me to allow this. The old me would judge this impulse as trivial, childish, self-indulgent, a waste of time.
But now I know not to listen to this voice of judgment, suspending my mind’s attempt to weigh matters of the heart on the scale of utility.
Having learned much more about how to build my life’s work - something very different to how to get a good job - I’ve gained a deep respect towards my heart’s wisdom, which manifests itself in the tuck of curiosity. I’m giving myself the permission to follow my nose, no matter how random it seems.
Your curious inner child is the one who will guide you to discover your passion.
Over the years helping others find work they love, I’ve read too many emails from people who said they don’t know what their passion is.
“I’m not really interested in anything.”
“I wish I could find something that I’d love to do for the rest of my life.”
If you’re wondering the same thing, I want to tell you that you weren’t born uninterested. When you were a child, you were interested in everything.
That curious child is still alive inside you. He or she is the one who will guide you to discover your passion.
If you’re stuck, it’s because you’ve spent more time analyzing yourself than getting into actions.
Let's say you’re curious about interior design, don’t sit there thinking:
“But I don’t have a degree...”
“I lose interest in everything eventually, why even bother…”
“But how can I make money doing this?”
“My parents will think this is stupid…”
Instead, take a crash course on interior design, watch youtube videos about interior design, try renovating your bedroom (or a corner of your bedroom), ask your cousin, whom you know has a boring living room, if you can renovate it - for free of course!
If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s an experience.
What I’m trying to tell you is: Say yes to low-risk experiences that interest you. That’s how to follow your curious child.
Nothing can teach you about yourself more than real experiences. And no experience is ever wasted.
Back when I worked at the Krakow University of Economics, the school’s cafeteria had a big mural that said:
“If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s an experience.”
I imagine thousands of students, in between their lattes and pierogi, darted their eyes across a teaching that was more important than anything their professors had to say.
Until today, it’s still the wisest thing I’ve ever seen on a wall.
Even if you hate the experience, you will learn about what you hate, you will get the “what if” out of your system so you can move on to something else.
If you love it at first, then find your interest wane, don’t berate yourself. Maybe you were never meant to do it forever. Maybe it was supposed to be the door to something else, not the destination.
One day, that experience will be exactly what you need to build your life’s work.
And don’t worry about making money just yet. Nothing scares your curious child away faster than interrogating it about a financial plan.
There will be a time for you to decide whether you want to make money with this idea, or not, and how. But not now.
Your curious child is like a forest animal. Very wild but also very shy. Let it come out to play and slowly trust you first. You two have been apart for many years.
Your curious child is like a forest animal. Very wild but also very shy.
TRY THIS
Now I have two questions for you.
What is one thing (or several things) you feel curious about?
It’s okay if you’re just mildly curious.
2. What is a low-risk experience you can have to follow that curiosity?
Pick from this list or come up with your own:
Do a Google search about this topic
Watch youtube videos of people doing this
Sign up for an online class
Join a local workshop
Start a tiny project (check the interior design example above)
Go do it. Then come back here to tell me how it goes.
Meanwhile, I’ll get back to my colors, pencils and papers. The hippopotamuses are calling.
Milena xo
P.S: DIVING DEEPER
To build your life’s work takes more than simply doing what you love, why not dive just a little deeper? Download my (free!) Purpose-Finder Workbook to uncover your unique purpose and start making an impact doing what you love.
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