In the pursuit of passion

“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” —Bishop T.D. Jakes

But what do you do if you have more than one passion?

For me, it’s makeup or medicine.

I’ve recently discovered one of my passions in makeup artistry. Each time I go to work, if I can just make one person feel beautiful and confident about themselves, I feel that I’ve fulfilled my purpose in work for the day. However, I’m also studying medicine to become a doctor, and while I haven’t necessarily conjured up the passion for my studies just yet, I know if I’m able to save someone’s life one day, that’s a feeling I believe will be unbelievable.

So which do I choose?

There is uncertainty that comes with both. If I follow makeup, will I really receive sustained meaning from the job? Compared to a doctor, who has the power and responsibility to bring life back into someone’s body. And what about job security? With divorce rates high, unemployment rates raised paired with the unpredictability of the future, like it or not it’s something our generation of women do need to think about. And work-life balance. I know I’m someone who needs a healthy balance of family, work, friends and hobbies to be my normal functioning self. When I talk to people and think about the life of a doctor, I have to face the possibility that my future work-life balance may be poor.

So with the reality of work being so real, but the pursuit of passion being so important, you could say I’ve arrived at a cross-road.

In saying that, do we have to choose only one passion? “Just pursue both”, is a piece of advice I’m often given. Which I’d love to do. But is it better to put all your eggs in one basket and work towards that goal? Or halve those eggs and be prepared to possibly not reach as far as you can if you were to only pursue one. I guess it depends on who you are and what works for you.

The truth is, having a passion is the easy part. We are all born with passions, burdens, visions and convictions. But choosing which passion you pursue can be difficult if you’ve got more than one that you are equally as passionate about.

Do you pursue just one?

Or both?

Or do you combine them somehow?

Written by Faith Chow.

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