DON'T IGNORE YOUR PASSIONS
Driving back from Chicago a couple weeks ago I made up my mind to think deeply about my future and how that would be directed. As I thought about it I came to the conclusion that my life right now has several specific passions. The first is obvious thanks to my Instagram, but I love photography. It has been a big part of my life now for close to ten years and I want to see that side of me grow. Another passion is culture and cultures. I firmly believe that I grew up in Mexico, moved to the States, and lived in Japan, for a good reason. Spreading and sharing culture means a lot to me especially in the Midwest where we tend to be mono-cultural. The other passion I have is for the Latino community, specifically in the United States. I taught English to adults most of the time I was at Grace and got to hear their struggles and victories as outsiders in the United States. Their stories impacted me as they are an unheard voice and I want to be an advocate for them.
During my job hunt the past few weeks I kept those passions, photography, culture, and the Latino community, in mind. They were clarifying for me as I discerned between jobs that would work toward those passions or not. I was offered a position as EL (English Learners) Paraprofessional at an elementary school nearby, mostly working with Mexican kids. With my handy-dandy list of passions I figured two out of three was a good ratio. So while this may not be the long term plan I feel confident that I am not wasting my time.
I encourage you to delve into your own thoughts and bring out what really motivates you, aside from what people have told you. I had to come to terms with the fact that I do not care for graphic design that much, even though that is what most people thought I wanted to do.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, your passions, and maybe even how your mindset has changed after working through this! Share in the comments!