Most people can figure out what they like and what they donāt like by exposing themselves to a bunch of different things. I found from an early age I was drawn to art and always thought Iād be an art teacher.
As a result, I sacrificed a lot of time and energy drawing and practicing my craft. Painting, chalking, sculpting, all to become a better artist. I requested independent studies based in art and took as many opportunities available to me as I could find.
As I got older, I understood that I was passionate about creating and solving problems, so I pursued higher education in design. I sacrificed on campus living, having a social life, and generally all of the fun parts associated with college. I ended up becoming a UX designer, leveraging my passion to create while also finding a way to stay afloat financially.
All of this to say that when I found something I was passionate about, I found ways to make sacrifices so that I could continue to follow that passion. The key is understanding what level of sacrifice youāre willing to make in the name of that passion.
Maybe itās sacrificing some time to do some YouTube tutorials, maybe itās sacrificing money to take a class, maybe itās sacrificing sleep to make time. Not all sacrifices will be worth it if youāre just starting out, but this process WILL give you a deeper understanding of both yourself and whether or not you want to continue to pursue that passion further!
Also I want to clarify that Iām not saying you should immediately uproot your life to pursue a passion sight unseen, but finding little ways to expose yourself and keep doing the things you actually love can be fulfilling and give you direction, ya dig?
4d ago
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I think continually asking why you want something can help with this. When you do, you may realize the āitā you want is rooted in other people: how theyāll perceive you, if youāll be accepted by them, etc. The older Iāve gotten Iāve been better at untangling some of my desires from the ego and I think it has lead to better self-satisfaction of where I am at and where I am going. itās also allowed me to ālet goā of some dreams. Thatās sounds negative or sad but I donāt mean it so: sometimes you white-knuckle-grip an idea of yourself so hard that it destroys you! I think āletting goā doesnāt mean things wonāt happen, it means they donāt have to and that pressure alleviation can make all the difference.
Thatās not to say to never let the drive of the ego take overā¦Iām not sure we would create art/great things without it. I guess what Iām saying is that knowing the root of our desires is a key to balance and self-assuredness.
Feb 18, 2025
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To be upfront, there are two things about myself that I love:
1. I'm tenacious AF
2. I am generally a positive person. I can handle almost any situtation, and I've had to learn to actually ask/demand more, so it's not always great.
With that being said, I've wanted to die many times. I've experienced a lot of trauma. I have PTSD for years. Things got to a point where I knew if I didn't make really drastic changes I was going to die in some way- I simply could not go on how I was.
The only thing that started to change things is when I started to learn more about myself and my reasons for doing things, being with certain people, getting into certain relationships. Part of my whole issue was that I had major trauma from childhood that I was actively avoiding. So many things happen to us as children, big and small, that we don't have the capacticy to deal with at the time. But as adults, we do.
I remember the moment where things started shifting for me. It unlocked a hunger in me to dig more and more to why I was the way I was, and why I made the choices I did, in a really deep way. I became more action oriented in facing my shit, healing it, and discovering what I was like without it. It definitely wasn't easy, and it wasn't fun most of the time, but in reality the years I spent doing that are small compared to the life I have ahead of me. I'm a whole new person, but the parts of me that are true are the same. I became a more mature, loving, responsible version of myself.
Hating your life is a sign something is not working. If you're unsure what that is, go inward. If you don't know where to start, think about the very next step. That's all you need to do. You're never locked in where you're at now forever. Don't know what you want to do for a career? Switch gears and do a completely different job. There is no timeline. You can literally do whatever you want. When I was doing a lot of the stressful inner work, I worked at animal shelters because I needed something so low stress. And I was mid 20's!!! No career goals in sight!!! Not even anywhere in my brain!!! If you're straight up hating something that is taking up most of your time... just quit it. Life is too short.
Success to me is ease and grace. I want a peaceful, joyful life (most of the time). Sometimes to figure out what you need to do, you gotta take a giant step back. Or a step to the left. Or take a big roundabout. Or maybe a quest needs to be taken...
Dec 4, 2024
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mostly just doing the things that Iām somewhat passionate about.
often Iām used to tag around people and do the minimum of whatās expected of me.
so finding my own way through great emotional stimulation is the thing that works lately. (even though I donāt have certain life goals etc)
maybe a change of scenery?
or doing more things that excites you?
I think that sometimes great decisions donāt stem from a certainty so donāt dwell on not knowing what to do. I accepted that itās normal and the best thing for me is to do things that make me happy
Apr 22, 2024
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You donāt need to suffer to prove that youāre a good person. You donāt have to stay with the job that makes you question yourself and you donāt have to keep dating that person youāre not quite clicking with. If something feels off then it probably is. Iām not advocating for immediately abandoning your responsibilities and throwing caution to the wind; but in our hearts we know when something is working and when it isnāt.
That thing called intuition is your soul, and you can trust it.
Dec 31, 2024
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Thereās just something really energizing knowing that me, Megan Fox, and the Late Elizabeth II share something moderately specific.
šTaurus
šLeo
āØCapricorn
Mar 4, 2025
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Iām tired of jumping through hoops and reframing my mounting dread everyday as āan opportunity to make a changeā. Iām tired of thinking that only if I tried harder, or was better or did something different that I would have a better outcome. At what point do you stop trying to jam the same puzzle piece in the same spot and say,
āHmm maybe this doesnāt fit!ā
Am I quitting trying to be an ever optimizing and improving version of myself? Maybe. OR have I successfully gotten what I wanted out of this experience and can peacefully move on without remorse?
I think in 2025 Iām going to start choosing the latter.
Dec 18, 2024