How I Finally Found My Passion (Part II)
Hi There!
I’m in the middle of self-quarantine to evade the COVID-19 virus, I don’t know til’ when, but my office’s management says we have to get back to work by next Thursday, it’s not even 14 days as ordered by the government! What the ???
Okay, let’s just continue the story.
So, since I become a solo-legal, I had to make a working system for myself with the other division. It was not that hard, because I copied the working system in my last office and did a bit of adjustment. I also made contracts from the very beginning because it was sad when I saw the existing contract. I mean, the language, the systematic, it was like made by an amateur.
Not that I said that I’m the best of all, but I got a lot of good things by working in my last office. I mean, we were applying a strict and the best form of contract which I followed it for almost two years, so I knew the difference between the best practitioner’s made and the amateur’s made.
As a law graduate, I’m well aware that the contract is the core of all business transactions. It plays a very important role. It rules the whole transactions, and it can be a guide for both parties. So when I saw the existing contract, I was thinking to just make a new one.
It didn’t easy though. That was the hardest part of my job. I mean, every single word means something serious and it can affect the whole business in it. I couldn’t make any mistakes. Even for a single comma or period.
Shortly, I was thinking that this office indeed needs help to at least have a clear working system, especially the working system that is relating to legal stuff. So at the beginning of my work there, I made up my mind to help this office to build a legal-related working system and after that, I should think about leaving this job and looking out for another better.
Turned out, I did my job for the first five months of work there, after that I had another anxiety whether is this the exact job for me or just another stepping-stone? Because for a long period, this job is really boring and quite easy I would say. I mean, I really can do better than this.
That anxiety was leading me to a second attempt on the diplomat test. This time I felt confident because I was so devastated of my last broke up with my ex and I think the world would turn on me so it could make my dream come true (to be honest, this broke-up was changing my life, and it was really something. I will separately write it on another story)
While I was doing the diplomat test prep, I read many books, especially about self-development books. And one of them is Ikigai by Sebastian Marshall. I was tweeting about this book, but I think I will repeat the review here.
I don’t know if the cover is exactly like this or not, but I guess yes. I read this book through an app called “Anybooks” which only available on Android. And voila! you can read thousands of free e-books!
This book has ‘saved’ my life, by answering my anxiety-based questions like what I’m going to do with my life? who I want to be? is this the right career path, and so on.
The points that I got from this book were:
- when you feel like you don’t know what to do with your life, it means you don’t have a purpose.
- when you don’t have a purpose, it means you don’t know what you want.
- when you don’t know what you want, it means you don’t know yourself.
- when you don’t know yourself, it means you have to know what is your passion.
and passion is the root of all.
How to know what exactly your passion is?
I read this from another source, but reliable, at least for me, hehe.
First thing first, you need to know what’s the difference between passion and hobby, because everyone seems to think that hobby and passion are something similar. The truth is they’re not.
The hobby is something you like to do but nature is rather consuming than producing.
While passion is something that you also like to do but nature is rather producing than consuming.
See the difference? No? Okay, let’s make an example.
I think I like to watch movies and to cook.
When I know the difference between hobby and passion, I can consider that watch movie is more consuming than to cook. Because by only watch movies I just get informed by that and that’s all. I enjoy it and that’s all. While when I cook something, I’m not only producing food, but I will probably be useful for someone’s hungry. I can feed someone by my cook, or maybe I can feed myself.
That’s the basic difference.
But, watch movies also can be producing when you like to give comments and/or review and write it down to your blog or your social media so people can get informed by it. So, you’ll be useful for other people too by doing such thing.
The point is, does your something-you-consider-your-passion useful for yourself and other people? If yes, then congratulations! You might have found your passion.
How Passion Correlates to Ikigai
To understand the basic concept of Ikigai, I will simplify it by this:
Ikigai means purpose, it has the same meaning to raison d’etre (France) as the reason for someone’s existence. Why God gave us life? There must be a reason. Because we’re about to make a difference to the world. And it’s our choice whether to make a good difference or bad difference. What exactly the purpose of our existence? Are we going to be useful for the world or just be a waste?
Ikigai is a Japanese way of life that are combining and harmonizing passion, expertise, the world’s need, and getting paid.
The world’s need.
One of Ikigai’s aspect that actually has a deep meaning. It means that human purpose must fulfill what’s the world needs. Because we’re part of this world. Because us human being is the core of the ‘earth rotation’. We play the main role to run the world. That’s why everything we’re about to do must resonate with the world’s needs.
So once you’ve found your passion try to analyze a bit further, whether it is something that you expert on or not, is it something that the world needs? and can you do that and get paid?
When your passion has fulfilled the three other aspects, then congratulations again! you’ve might found your Ikigai.
:)
In his book, Sebastian said that someone’s passion might be changing over the years. So once you’ve experienced this, always remember to not only find your passion but harmonizing it to three other Ikigai’s aspects aforementioned.
If you still confused or haven’t found your passion, Sebastian recommended his reader to do at least these things (because you’ll eventually find your purpose, time will tell):
- start to study and develop your own ethical system;
- making good friends, advisors, and mentors who are strong and decent people (start making networks);
- learning universally useful skills;
- a few credentials;
- putting money in the bank;
- getting your credit up;
- studying history to learn what’s possible;
- establishing good habits that’ll carry you through life;
- becoming very fit and healthy;
- learning how to think
I know these are sound so perfect and so straight A’s. But Sebastian said that:
“If you try to become excellent, normal people will judge you. Fuck them. Seriously, I said it and I meant it. Fuck ‘em.”
Got your answer?
Me? Hell yeah!
After doing so many contemplations over the years, first I decided to change my bad habit.
I got a long list of bad habits that are got to be changed right away because they apparently give me and other people a bad impact.
Second, along the way, I also wrote a list of hobbies and categorized them into what’s belong to hobbies and what’s belong to passions (remember the difference between hobby and passion, right?).
Third, after I found my passions, I analyze whether they fulfill another three Ikigai’s aspects or not.
Fourth, I made a ‘raw-sketch’ of a profession I’m willing to do in the future based on my passions.
Fifth, I confirmed myself over and over again about that raw-sketch. Because for your information, when you’ve chosen to do one thing, you must be ready to lose a chance of doing another thing.
Sixth, I made a plan to pursue my future profession based on my passion.
Seventh, I will try hard to be consistent.
Now I have a road map.
At least for now, it seems to be.
I did beat my anxieties.
Thanks to me, thanks to Sebastian Marshall, thanks to additional articles related to Ikigai and finding passion thing, and thanks to God.
So, folks.
That’s all. I hope this shitty writing could help you.
Thank you.