Tag Archives: passion

Entrepreneurship as a Viable Option for Recent Graduates

Posted on by
1

A year ago today, I was excited. With a college degree in tow, I was ready to take on the world. I would land a secure (if less than ideal) job, move out on my own, buy a big dog, save up money for either graduate school or travel, and everything would fall effortlessly into place.

Well, things don’t always go according to plan. After over 200 job applications, I was finally offered a minimum-wage, part-time job. Though far from ideal, it covers my basic expenses - gas, groceries, insurance, and student loan repayments. Barely.

As I watch the next round of graduates receive their degrees this month, I can’t help but wonder where my peers are today. Some currently employed friends had connections and others just got lucky, but most I’ve talked to are in the boat as me, either unemployed or underemployed (50% of college graduates under 25 fall into the latter two categories).

Regardless of one’s intelligence, drive, and work ethic, opportunities are increasingly hard to come by. The potential to succeed means nothing, if you’re not given the opportunity to go out there and experiment with your skills.

About a year ago, I wrote about a discussion in my Anthropology class, in which we talked about the economy and human nature, and that conversation will serve as the foundation for this post. A year ago, the economy was no better. While most professors were commending students on their hard work and wishing them the best of luck in securing their dream jobs, one brash middle-aged teacher told it like it was. Though nervous about the prospects, I was among the disillusioned majority, convinced that finding a “real job” would be relatively easy. I’ve since learned that is not true.

“I don’t know where I’ll be job-wise a month, a year, or a decade from now, but I can assure you that I won’t be here writing about how boring my work is nor complaining about how overqualified and underappreciated I am. Being just another minion, maybe no one will take me seriously, but if I’m actively contemplating ways to improve my own work and the practices of the company, I’m surely better off than the bored young man who is counting down the minutes until his shift ends.”

I’ll occasionally go back and read though my backlog of lightly processed thoughts. Oftentimes ideas seem to percolate over time, and things written weeks, months, and years ago make more sense when revisited later. Twelve months ago, I didn’t know what was in store, but I had a skeletal plan – make your work meaningful, even if its not inherently so; put forth your best effort, improve efficiency, and make the most of your situation. Over the past few months, I’ve unconsciously been putting this into practice. I don’t love my job, but I can say that I’m proud of the work I produce and the way that I treat my coworkers. Perhaps that’s as of good a start as any.

“To be human is to problem-solve. To deny people the opportunity to problem-solve and to be creative alienates them and removes some element of their humanity.”

I’m a problem solver. People have always come to me to resolve arguments. I love word problems and logic puzzles. I love actively working towards a solution, regardless of whether the problem is real or whether a solution is actually necessary. I think one of the biggest problems for recent graduates is that they’re being denied the opportunity to implement their problem-solving skills and creativity. Working as a receptionist or waitress is not the type of challenge that most degree holders are seeking. I would venture to say that most unemployed and underemployed college graduates would choose challenging and meaningful work over a high paycheck and good benefits, though a coupling of both would be ideal.

Given circumstances in which someone wants to be challenged and wants for their work to be backed with purpose, within an economic market where that opportunity is not readily granted, what are the options? How does one go about building meaning into monotony and creating new things when there’s no external motivation? I suppose the answers are to do your best, to remain curious, and to pursue your interests. But is that really enough?

I just finished reading The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau, in which he suggests that anyone can start a business with minimal monetary investment. The key is to find some convergence between what you are good at doing and what other people are interested in buying, and to apply your skills and passion to fill an inefficiency in the marketplace.

Perhaps entrepreneurship is the new “safe” career path. Maybe starting up your own (low monetary investment) business is the way to counter a floundering and uninviting job market. Self-employment is a means of making a living while also pursuing your passions, and it just may have more potential for success than society would have us believe.

My mom was self-employed for most of my life. She sold a product she was passionate about, managed a huge team, dealt with all the necessary paperwork, crafted her work schedule around her life, and was wildly successful. Although that business no longer exists, my mother has been a huge inspiration throughout my life. When I grew up, I wanted to have a successful career that was built around my family life, travels, and other priorities. My mom made it work, and made it look easy and exciting.

I know now that running a business it not necessarily easy. However, I’m drawn to concept of controlling the level and type of effort that goes into a project, and then watching the results unfold. I’m curious, innovative, and always experimenting with new ideas. I relish the thought of spending my days working on projects that I actually care about. What if I could be paid to do something I love, as well as control how things are run and change the rules as I please? I want to say that it takes a certain personality to find success through entrepreneurship, but I don’t think that’s true; everyone has some area of interest and expertise, and with the right approach and enthusiasm, anyone could be successful in their own business venture, or at least benefit from the experience.

Although I have no idea where I’d begin; I’m grappling with the idea of working on my own $100 startup microbusiness. I’d like to have money to either attend graduate school or travel the world, and if potential employers think that I’m “not aggressive enough” or “lacking the proper experience,” maybe it’s time for me to go out into the world and create my own opportunities.

It’s Never Too Late to Discover Your Passion

Posted on by
4

Around age 30, my aunt and her friend took up running. I recently attended a few yoga classes with a woman who started the practice at age 40. One of my grandfather’s friends decided to try his hand at acting and directing plays shortly after retirement. There’s a charming documentary, Young at Heart, about a chorus of senior citizens (with an average age of 81) who perform covers of Coldplay, Sonic Youth, and other modern-day bands.

What do these people have in common?

Each of these individuals is fervently passionate about what they do. Each of these individuals excels at what they do. And each of these individuals discovered and pursued their passion later in life.

At age 22, sometimes I wonder what it is I really should be doing. What is my passion and how can I shape my life around that passion? How can I make a living doing what I love? Occasionally I worry that I’ll never find my niche, that my current state of ”not knowing” is causing me to miss valuable opportunities.

But then I stop, take a step back, and look at the bigger picture. I remember those who spent a good portion of their lifetime searching and are still happy with the outcome. I think of those who didn’t even start looking until half their life had passed them by, yet are still happy where they are. Maybe what they say about life being a journey is true.

I feel as if I’m stumbling along, one slow and faltering step at a time. But is that really a bad thing? Do I really want to scale the mountain in a day, reach the finish line overnight?

No. No I really don’t.

Besides, I think that fact that I’m actually working to achieve my small goals, keeping an open mind, and welcoming new opportunities puts me a foot ahead in the game. The fact that I’m insatiably curious about my full potential doesn’t hurt either.

I admire those who, after years of uncertainty and disappointment, were courageous enough to keep searching for what makes them come alive. I admire those who have made sacrifices and faced criticism to reach their dreams. And I admire those who have served as an inspiration to myself and others.

It’s never too late to pursue your interests. It’s never too late to discover your passion.

Did you discover or finally pursue one of your interests later in life?


Pursuing your passions

Posted on by
11

When I was a child, my mother continually stressed the importance of three things: education, reading, and doing what you love. Although these categories have some overlap, each has independently become a strong pillar in my life.

Education: I attended a private Catholic school from kindergarten through high school. I learned a lot in school and was continually challenged by my teachers. However, beyond that, I’m highly self-motivated when it comes to learning. I’m that overachiever who the teacher admired and the classmates resented. I didn’t do it for the attention – actually I hated the attention! It was because I simply loved leaning and continually building up my vast collection of knowledge.

Reading: My parents read to me everyday as a child, often far more than once a day. They instilled a deep-set love of books in me and my siblings. In fact, my younger sister’s first words were “want book.” (Honest to God!) As a child, I regularly sat in my room for hours on end with my beloved books; to contrast, most of my friends spent their “alone time” with their bedroom TV set, a luxury I never had nor desired. Although I’ve gone through a few brief periods during which reading was placed on the back burner, I have always returned to my favorite pastime, with a growing fervor each time. As I have expanded my mind and refined my tastes, I’ve grown to love reading more than I ever dreamt possible; even more than I loved “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” and “The Giver.” Well, maybe not more.

Passions: My mother always told my brother, sister, and me to do what we love and that everything else would follow. My mom was a walking example. She had been a school teacher briefly, but then chose to stay home to raise her children. She later started a home-based business selling educational books. She fervently believed in the product and in the cause – promoting education. Although she originally pursued the book business as supplemental income, she quickly built an empire. She managed a huge team, was always a national leader in terms of sale, had a six-figure income and – most importantly – absolutely loved what she did.

The pursuit of money as a means to anything usually means that someone, at lease momentarily, has taken their eyes off of what they really want. The pursuit of money as a means to anything should always be secondary to the pursuit of that same thing.

The other day, I was browsing the posts shared by my fellow post-a-day bloggers and came across a post entitled Never work a day in your life! Like myself, the author has heard many variations of the concept “chose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” What I particularly liked about this post was that the idea was backed up with results from a research study.

The research was based on the analysis of 1,500 people at two points of time, at the beginning and the end of a twenty year period. The participants were broken into two categories:

  1. Members of first category said that they would pursue money first and follow their passions later. Over 1,245 people fell into this group.
  2. The second category consisted of individuals who claimed that they would seek their passions and interests first and trust that money and success would follow. There were 255 people in this group.

In a follow-up study conducted twenty years after the initial groups were formed, 101 of the 1,500 participants had become millionaires. Could it mere coincidence that 100 of the 101 millionaires were from the second category – the group who felt that pursuing passions was more important than pursing money?

I doubt it. I think that what my mother and other wise individuals throughout history have taught us is entirely true. When you focus on what you love, you willingly exert more time and energy into those projects. Engaging in work that has personal meaning can also affect those around you. When your passion and happiness burns brightly, others are more likely to believe in and support your cause.

Heed your mother’s advice. Pursue your passions. Do what you love.

What are your passions? What would you do with your life if money were no issue?