The Necessity of Dreaming

 The term, 'living your passion', was unheard of in the 90's. It is a relatively new phenomenon, this attitude that suggests that if you are not living your dream reality you must be living a failure. Setting the bar up high with unrealistic expectations, the parents of today's generation encouraged their children to believe in following their dreams. 

        Equipped with a sense of entitlement, and a feeling of being 'special', the contemporary youth have underestimated the power of dedication and hard work. Unfortunately the attitudes towards liberated sex cannot be adopted incase of a professional life, and though YOLO you cannot avoid responsibility. It is absolutely crucial to be well-grounded in terms of balancing a certain arrogance of youth, and doing what your heart tells you to do.

That being said, I also do believe in following your passion. Too many people have followed the money, and regretted their decision. If the herd moves in one direction, it leaves a lot of opportunities for  divergent thinkers. This was another reason for the origination of the term 'following your passion' as a success mantra, because in the recent times it is possible to make money in fields, never thought imaginable before. 

If you love what you do, you will spend time on it, get better and be happier, which increases overall productivity. The inflow of cash in a non-satisfactory job feels good with the first few shiny new cheques, but then the human part of us begins to wonder whether we are turning into machines, and it begins to seek deeper meaning in life, an emotional connection. 

        There is a misconception that passions need to be related to professional success. You can be passionate about anything.

           family

friends

guitar

slapstick comedy

greenery

beer

baseball

dogs

kinky sex

rock climbing

romantic novels

anything at all...

          So which category do you belong to?

            1. I have a passion, and I spend time on it.

2. I am yet to find my passion. 

        It is easy to discover what you are passionate about. Begin by asking yourself what would you do with your time, if no one paid you for it. Without money as the motivation, you will do things that you are curious about. This sense of exploration will lead to discovery of what makes you happy. 

         What pushes a hobby into a passion, is the difference between consuming and creating. Once you find something you like, try to do it yourself. 

           get to know your father

grow a plant

learn how to code from a web tutorial

make your friend a gift

tell yourself a make-up story

strum your guitar

read about wine

google how to give better oral 

write a funny one line joke

listen to every single song of your favourite band 

We need to believe and trust in our dreams and passions, because they are possible. If you are positive, you will have good feelings and produce higher quality work. It is important to point out that being positive is not the same as is suggested in new age spirituality. When I talk about positivity, I don't mean the adoption of a pollyanna-esque point, and viewing the world through rose-tinted glasses. 

      Too often people try hard to be positive, and spend too much energy resisting undesirable thoughts, and feeling guilty for not being happy enough. It is the same mistake that the rationalists made by suppressing emotions, and elevating the intellect as superior. What I mean by positivity is not a state of desperate delusion, but that of hope and a basic belief in humanity. There is so much unfounded negativity in today's world, that a dash of idealism and unrealism is necessary to counter the non-believers, and balance the good. 

The only reason people do cruel things, is because they have lost faith in the power of love. Unconditional love is absolutely possible. When one has accumulated considerable wealth or knowledge, they can use it for good purposes. When one has cultivated self-love, then can give love. When one has internal strength, he or she can give hope to others. When people are in a position where they have a lot to give, they are capable of compassion. 

There is an unconditionality of kindness in our everyday lives that remind us of the beauty of being human, and we just have to keep our eyes  and hearts open. These need not be great acts of a kindness, but small, simple things make a big difference.