Pursue Your Passion

-Contributed by Daily Dose weekly contributor Chaun Archer-

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."
Colossians 3:23-24 

I’ve been labeled many things in my life. Dreamer and free spirit are two that I heard a lot. It is not until recently that I’ve begun hearing people say hard worker and persistent. It’s odd how for so many years I hated the label of dreamer and free spirit. I hated what it implied. It sounded as if people thought I just had my head in the clouds chasing a dream or a goal that would never be reached or accomplished; as if I was wasting my time or aimlessly wandering through life. Although my plan may not have made sense to the people around me, I’ve always had a plan. My plan may have been flexible and changed over the years, but there was always a plan in place.

I think most people struggled with my audacity to live life by my terms and pursue my passion instead of going down the beaten path. I believe that many people wish they had the courage to pursue their passion instead of a job or career that brings them little fulfillment or joy. I would like to say to anyone reading this, that you can pursue your passion too.

People confuse passion with purpose. It may take you years to discover your purpose in life, but passion lives within us, and we usually know what we are passionate about. The two are often associated with each other, because many times while pursuing your passion, you often find your purpose.

I’ve always loved acting and writing. These two things help me to breathe. After going to college for banking and finance to please my family, I realized I would be so unhappy because I found no happiness in it. Was it paying the bills? Yes. Was I good at it? Yes. But just because you are good at something doesn’t mean you love it or want to do it for the rest of your life. I found ways to write and get involved with acting while I was working. It was small things at first, because to have even a little of it made me feel whole. The small things opened the door for bigger things and before you knew it I was doing things that I loved and I was good at on a consistent basis and it began to pay the bills. I found far more pleasure in my work and it showed.

First ask yourself, “Are my goals mine? Are you chasing someone else’s dream for your life?” Next ask yourself “Why?” Why do you want to pursue this thing? Next, start where you are. Try finding creative ways to pursue your passion without quitting your job or using up all of your savings. Find ways to volunteer or a group of people who are passionate about similar things. Lastly, give it your best, and give it time. The thing about your passion is, you would do it for free, because you feel so fulfilled every moment that you are doing it.

There was a businessman who once went on vacation to a faraway beach. One day he walked past a local fisherman who was lazing around, with his fishing rod in the water, enjoying the sun and a glass of lemonade. The city man’s mind went to work immediately. The fishing spot was a gold mine, and a serious fishing business would thrive in the area. “Why are you so stupid?” he asked the fisherman. “Get some boats, hire some extra hands, and in a few years you will turn your little shop into a million-dollar business!”

The local man asked him. “And what would you do once you have a million dollars?”

The city man stared back blankly. “Why, I would have so much free time I could sit around in the sun all day drinking lemonade!”

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