Overcome the daunting ask to “follow your passion”

Did anyone catch Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love author,) where she shares her ‘Really Weird’ advice about NOT following your passion?

Her comment peeked my curiosity (ironically,) as she describes that it sometimes feels cruel to set the expectation that this is such a regular occurrence… to be passionate about one clearly defined thing, that is. And that perhaps, just to be curious, is enough.

Not having a well articulated passion can make you feel left out, or like you’re missing something, (just because you don’t know what ‘yours’ is, or because it doesn’t feel ‘hot’ enough.) I agree that its both rare and sometimes unattainable.

So instead, follow your curiosity, which might lead to surprising beautiful things. After all, Albert Einstein changed the world as the most influential physicist of the 20th century, and spoke about how curiosity helps to fuel our imagination.

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
-Albert Einstein

Remember the old saying: “curiosity killed the cat?” Well I like the idea of this as well (and not only because I’m more of a dog person.) Its these failures that are inevitable when pursuing something worthwhile. What great things are ever accomplished without failing in some way first? The real failure is in the not starting or completing.

So if you have drive for something specific, pursue it. By all means. However, if you’re uncertain, or in between passions, just be curious. It can open the door to a kingdom of possibilities.