Finding Your Passion

Debra Davenport, for Yahoo! HotJobs — 5 weeks ago

Worth doing!

Ever wish you were one of those fortunate people who knew - at the age of 6 - exactly what they wanted to be when they grew up? If you find yourself as an adult still searching for your passion, don’t despair. Many people - too many to count - share your career conundrum.
The key is not wasting any more precious time in a career that doesn’t fit and finding the livelihood that’s a natural extension of the real you. Here’s how:

Retrace your steps. Often, career passions are formed in childhood. What did you enjoy as a child? What were your hobbies and interests? What games did you play? What were your early career fantasies?

Identify what really matters. Your values are the map to your perfect career. Identify those that are most important to you. Time freedom, perhaps? Creativity? Travel? Working alone? Being your own boss? Make a list of everything you deeply value and want in your career.

Get deep. Are you seeking to make a difference or contribute to society through your work? Is there a spiritual component to your career? How do see yourself effecting positive change?

Explore. Many people feel stuck because they simply don’t know what exists in terms of career possibilities. Research careers on the Internet, network, ask questions, read voraciously, and jot down every idea.

Try it on for size. Internships and apprenticeships are great ways to try on careers. Use vacation time to “shadow” someone whose job interests you. Volunteer or get temporary jobs in the fields that interest you.

Listen to your heart. What do you enjoy doing so much that you’d do it for free? What activities give you the most joy? Cooking? Singing? Writing? Inventing? You really can make a career out of the things you love—that’s what finding your passion is all about.

Get tested. Seek out a certified career counselor and request a comprehensive career assessment. There are many validated assessments available. At the minimum, you should complete a personality profile (such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator), a career interests assessment, and a work values assessment.

Peel away the layers. Working in an unfulfilling career can cause you to make adaptations to your behaviors and belief systems which can impact confidence and self-esteem—two things you need in order to make smart decisions for yourself. Strip away the false and/or negative belief systems (“I can’t do that.” “I’m not smart enough.” “You have to have a lot of experience to do that.”) and get to your truth. That’s where your passion lies.
Remember: Skills can be learned, but your passion is a part of who you are. The reality is you can do whatever you want to do and set your mind to do. The old adage, “Do what you love, the money will follow” is actually very good advice. It may take some work to reveal what you’re truly meant to do but, if loving your career is important to you, your efforts will be a valuable investment in your future happiness.

My Stalker Experience

Been back in Berkeley. Doing massage therapy and pet sitting. The dog I'm sitting is a puppy and that means he has attachment issues. He'll follow me anywhere; up the stairs, down the stairs, when I'm strying to go 1, and worse yet, when I'm trying to wipe after 2.

The only way I can get some R&R (rest and repose?) is if I climb a ladder to the roof and then climb into the upstairs window. He'll wait for hours for me to come down from the ladder. You would think I could just keep him in the backyard but he has a doggie door. Besides my way is much more fun; although potentially life threatening.

Berkeley > Garland

Been back here in Garland helping mom at Deli. Today is two weeks. Came with intention of helping her until help arrives. Doing well to that intention. Figured if i'm reading books and watching movies might as well do it in Dallas helping mother. Spent some nice time at alamo park near ma's deli under a grove of trees on a park bench. Checking shitload of great films from the library!

Been helping ma open early by making soi, two greens and one purple, with mung and coco and salt/sugar mix. Doing well to get things done by escaping thru music, audiobooks, and film. Almost got involved in an live-in pet sitter situation. Sold one gun for Lu! felt amazing, like I was closer to my dream of being a traveling salesman!

Looking at my options of returning to Berkeley and when or other options for the summer, Flagstaff? Stay in Garland? Went out with siblings back to Mesquite and saw growth, change, sameness. Had wingstop and shared intimacies with Aunt Van from Viet Nam over the shoulder conversation.

One Way or Another

I owe A LOT of money. In response to my predicament, I have been pulling weeds at a lady's house to make extra cash and pay back my creditors. So it's Sunday and I've been breaking my back since the crack of dawn. Around 4 P.M. she decides to go over grandma's for dinner, counting on me to continue the yard work. That translates as trust and makes me feel good. Right after she leaves, however, I start getting the runs. And I mean REAL BAD.

I've felt the need "to go" before but, this time, it is serious shit. You know, the conversation to crap where your sphincter calls for your attention but all you want is for it to shut the shit-shutter. I pray on a limb that she left the back door open. No luck. Plan B is to make a miraculous drive to the nearest gas station or grocery store before the shit hits the fan, or (in this case) my pants. In the process of taking a step, my a#shole, (we'll nickname him "Fiesty" to keep it PG) interrupts my intention.

Me: "Whoa. Wait a moment, “Fiesty”. It's not time for you to talk yet." But, you see, at this moment "Fiesty" doesn't seem to care what I think. With each step, Fiesty insists on spilling his guts out, literally. I figure out real soon that this was going to be his conversation. My Vietnamese instincts immediately kick in. I know what I need to "do-do". There was no arguing with “Fiesty”. He would have his way with me regardless of how I felt about hearing what he had to say.

In the jungle land we are taught the "communist squat" at a young age.  We become experts before we learn to walk. HOW TO DO THE COMMUNIST SQUAT. 1. Get in a horse stance position. 2. Squat, with authority. 3. Stay flatfooted in perfect balance. 4. Let her rip. And boy, did Fiesty have things to say. Never had I experienced a one-way conversation with such ferocity. On a related subject matter. I called my mother and had a heart-felt conversation letting out all my anguish and frustration over a rotten childhood. Boohoo me. One way or another, it always comes out.

"Big Words"

Things I learned today at...
L. Work: Fort Carson, Co Military Base
1. In the BEL (Big Engineering Leagues), if I want to pass as a competent colleague, I must catch on to the onslaught of acronyms and abbreviations. I have to remember that when my boss says that I am working for SES, he is referring to the umbrella company that this project in under: Sempra Energy Solutions and not that I am a man-whore. When, in mid-sentence, he asks me to hand him that "spec", that means a specification report, and not the little mark I accidentally made on the wall.
2. The engineering career ladder is full of fascinating opportunities to which I am not the least bit fascinated. Meet Wally the Welder. He's a nice guy, you know, but it's a challenge relating to him. He's actually sitting right next to me on his lunch break, sharing his world of welding with me as I am typing this. I don't have the heart to tell him to stop, he reminds me of Bubba in "Forest Gump" describing all the wonderful dishes you can make with shrimp. "I inspect all kinds of welds. Pipe welds, structural steel welds, joint welds." For taking his job seriously, I give him the sincerest respect. At this time, I would like to make a toast. "Here's to Wally. For a job weld done."
3. When I use Microsoft Word, I prefer to turn off the automatic spell check. It's not that I mind being told that I'm wrong, but can't it just wait til I'm done completing my sentence? Its lyke beeing intearrrupeted wile your trieng to mak a points.