Is it possible to find your passion in life in late 20's?

[dmmm]

Hi

 

Has anyone actually found their passion in life? or is it just something you are kind of born with?

 

Lots of advice here is find something to drive your life rather than depending on getting a gf to "complete you".

 

I'm trying to find something I can throw myself into, that I love etc. I have no interests and just can't visualise myself actually becoming so passionate about anything that it encompasses my life (and fills the void of a gf).

 

I spend so much time alone that when I get a little contact with a girl it pretty much obsess me to the point where when they contact inevitably stops I can't cope.

 

I would love to be so passionate bout something that IT becomes my life, but just can't see it ever happening.

 

Has anyone else found their life's passion in the late 20's? Even if they have spent their whole life not knowing how much they love it?

[River Rain]

I can kind of relate, although I'm in my 40's. I didn't have anything I was passionate about until this year to be honest. I had hobbies that I liked, but nothing stood out. Last year I decided to try a bunch of different things, I actually did a search for "hobbies" and found a pretty good list here: Find Me A Hobby. 101 Hobby Ideas.. It gave me ideas of things I'd like to try and got me thinking about so many other possibilities. It's a start.

[Eve]

I can kind of relate, although I'm in my 40's. I didn't have anything I was passionate about until this year to be honest. I had hobbies that I liked, but nothing stood out. Last year I decided to try a bunch of different things, I actually did a search for "hobbies" and found a pretty good list here: Find Me A Hobby. 101 Hobby Ideas.. It gave me ideas of things I'd like to try and got me thinking about so many other possibilities. It's a start.

 

If that is you in your avatar thing all I have to say is you are looking good girl.. looking good!

 

OP, as for the interests thing I think the 20's is a time to simply try different things and by about 30 generally I think this is where we find out what we are really into.

 

This is true for most people I know, except my oldest brother who knew from an early age that he wanted to be involved with computers and followed this interest from when he was about 13 upwards. He is so loaded now that it is now even funny.

 

For the rest of us I think it is a gradual unfolding.

 

I began with an interest in media but changed my career direction in my mid 20's. My general interests; film, reading, cookery, being a draughts master have remained pretty constant throughout. Mainly now I am aiming to do nothing for a year or so and then re-evaluating my life... I am now 40.

 

Dabbling in my own business proved to be my my most successful move.

 

Take care,

Eve x

Edited October 23, 2012 by Eve

[SpiralOut]

Hi

Has anyone else found their life's passion in the late 20's? Even if they have spent their whole life not knowing how much they love it?

 

Yes. I knew my whole life that I wanted to do it, but for some reason kept making up excuses for not doing it. Somehow I tricked myself into thinking that I didn't know what I wanted. I guess I thought it would be too hard to do what I wanted so I searched for something else that seemed more realistic or attainable. I could not find the answer because the answer was in my face and I was ignoring it.

 

So for me it wasn't so much a finding of it, but learning to actually see what's right in front of me and grabbing onto it. Only now am I realizing that if this is what I want to do then I damn well better start doing it.

[january2011]

I've never been passionate about just one thing and managed to sustain my enthusiasm for it throughout my life (so far).

 

After some soul-searching and reading around, I can identify a pool of themes that drive me and my life choices but these don't apply every single time. There are also some things (such as values and ideals) that are important to me, but as I get older, I realise how transient and malleable some of these can be. Especially after a major life event.

 

I suggest that you don't have to look at your end-goals as finding one passion that fills the spaces in your life but to try lots of different things and just find out what makes you happy. So happy, that you immerse yourself in the activity and hours go by. You don't have to stick at everything, even if you enjoy it. You are allowed to put things down once you decide that it's time to shake things up and try something different.

 

And if you have any problems with focus, practise improving your willpower by cutting down on distractions and gradually increasing the length of time you spend at a particular activity, e.g., 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes and so on. Exercise can also help with focus and willpower.

 

Another way of looking at it is that you don't have to restrict yourself by becoming a specialist in one thing and that is your one goal in life. You can become a generalist and get broad experience and skills in lots of different things. As a diehard jack-of-all trades myself, I think life's a lot more interesting that way. There really is a world of opportunity out there and there's never been a better time to try your hand at pretty much anything - there's bound to be a tutorial on it on YouTube or VideoJug.

 

Edit: Sometimes I feel that there's a lot of societal pressure to reach certain goals by a certain age and become some kind of "finished product." You don't have to subscribe to this script. You can opt out and carve your own path.

[dmmm]

Hi everyone

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm gonna put some serious effort in from now on to try new things, to open my mind up to things that before I wouldn't have even considered. For too long I've been so close minded, just thinking this limited life (basically watching tv and movies) is really all I am passionate about and all I'm destined to do. Time to actually attempt to find something else!

[CarrieT]

Some of my favorite examples of people who found their passion late in life:

• Julia Child - did not start cooking school until her 40s
  
• Sydney Greenstreet (the Fat Man in Casablanca did not start acting until his 60s
  
• Colonel Sanders (KFC fame) didn't begin promoting chicken until his 60s.
  
• Stan Lee (creator of Spider Man) didn't start drawing until his 40s
  

 

Never too late to pursue a new dream...

[Jamesblame]

I understand why you're upset over the notion of not having your passion just yet...but think about the alternative. Can you imagine knowing everything about yourself by your mid twenties!? another 50 years of the same old same old? How awful.

 

I definitely was an adventurer in my teens and early twenties. I tried tons of professions and classes. From art to theater to journalism to law. And what did I end up doing? Working as a social worker and medical assistant (training for physicians assistant) . Who knew?!

 

Life is about growth and trying new things. Every day is in essence a gift, and you will always be changing. New experiences will keep things interesting.

 

Just keep trying new things and see what sticks. Have fun while doing it, and never worry about those people who seem to have everything under their belt....who knows if they'll be as happy and content come 15 years later.

 

The only life that you should compare is how much your actual life resembles the one you want your life to be.