Seeking Passion and Purpose
As a young girl, I watched my dad come home from his orthodontic practice every night and complain. I could have followed in his footsteps, taken over his practice and set myself up for a nice cushy life. But I decided early on that I would not settle for cushy. I wanted passion, purpose and meaning.
The problem was, I did not identify myself as a passionate person. My brother was passionate from day one. He has a strong opinion about seemingly everything and has never been afraid to share it. When he believes in something or enjoys it, he goes after it. If he spots an injustice, he fights it. He has definitely staged a sit in or two in his time.
I’ve always secretly admired him for his strong convictions. I spent my life comparing myself to him, and somehow along the way decided I was not a passionate person. He was born one; I was not. That is simply how the cards were dealt.
Limiting Beliefs
Decades later, I now know I was wrong about myself. That’s the trouble with the identities we give ourselves. They are not absolute truths. They are merely beliefs we form over time, and often, they are wrong. I had decided I wasn’t passionate, so I blocked myself from seeing my own passions. It turns out I knew exactly what I wanted to do at the age of 18, I just didn’t see it. But that’s a story for another day.
I write all of this in hopes that you can begin to question your own identity. What if how you have been describing your own traits and qualities has been wrong all along? Perhaps, like me, your limiting beliefs formed in childhood are merely blocking you from seeing your own purpose and potential. I invite you to get curious, dive deep and open yourself to the possibility that you may have mistaken your own identity.
