Deep Fried Dreams
My favorite food since I was a child is fried chicken. KFC and Jollibee's Chicken Joy were my ultimate faves. When I moved to the US, Popeye's joined the list. My favorite part is the crispy, crunchy skin. I'd even set them aside at times, saving the best for last.
I am famous for my fried chicken obsession in my family. So much so that it's sure to be present in every gathering. I was also famous for inheriting my dad's talent for singing. Come karaoke time, relatives would gather around each time I was holding the mic or was doing a duet with my dad. I never took my singing career any further though. I enjoyed it, was fairly good at it, but it wasn't something I loved to do.
Which begs the question: Is it always worth pursuing something you have natural talent for? And why are we usually attracted to pursuing something we don't? One that we need to train hard for, usually starting at the very bottom?
Why does one who has no sense of rhythm dream of becoming a ballerina?
How does one dream of becoming a doctor without knowing the hard work and long hours it entails?
When we are first introduced to a profession, we tend to be enamoured by the external rewards of it - money, glamour, prestige. So the dream is actually to have those things, with the profession merely the vehicle.
Instead of dreams, we need to find out our passions. That thing we feel exhilarated doing even when no one's watching. That thing that might not bring monetary rewards (initially) and is the reward in and of itself.
When we harness that which we thoroughly enjoy, given we are so in love with it, the amount of time poured into it is expected to be immense. But it doesn't feel like training or hard work. On the contrary, it feels like play, feeding your soul. It feels like home.
The funny thing is, it's not uncommon for that kind of focused dedication to lead to the same things I mentioned earlier - money, glamour, prestige. Not as the goal, but as a by-product.
The key is to explore what it is you're passionate about. Same goes for your children (if you have any) ideally starting from early on.
How?
By trying everything.
By exploring different activities and seeing what sticks.
By not discriminating and preemptively dismissing something you haven't even tried yet as dull, "not my thing," or "I'm not cut out for that."
Try first. Then judge.
That's the only way to discover what it is you love.
Unless, at least for me, it's fried chicken.
Marge
A Life Well Lived Team
www.alife-welllived.com
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