Finding Your Hidden Passions & Getting to Know Yourself

Transitioning into adulthood can be daunting, and feeling lost is absolutely normal. I share comforting insights and practical tips on how to navigate this phase of life with confidence. Embrace the uncertainty and be kind to yourself as you grow and evolve. By reflecting on the qualities you admire in others and aligning your daily actions with your values, you can find meaning and purpose in your journey. Tune in for an encouraging conversation and remember, you’re doing better than you think.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey there, welcome to another episode of Must Know
Before you Die.
This is the first episode ofthe first season, so to say that
we're doing on getting throughyour 20s successfully.
I'm Nia and I'm so glad thatyou're here with me today.

(00:21):
If you're in your 20s, orreally whatever age you might be
, this episode is for you.
Today we're diving into one ofthose big, sometimes daunting
topics of finding your passionand purpose.

(00:43):
What really lights up your fire, and really at the core of all
of that, is getting to knowyourself.
Our 20s are really the time toexperiment and to understand

(01:05):
what brings us happiness.
So get cozy, grab a cup ofcoffee or tea or whatever helps
you relax, and let's get into it.
So, finding your passion andpurpose.
It does really sound likesomething straight out of a

(01:29):
motivational posture, right, butwhat does it actually mean and,
more importantly, how do we goabout figuring it out?
Go about figuring it out.

(01:51):
I want to start by saying thatif you're feeling a little lost
or unsure about what you want todo with your life, if you're,
you know, confused about it all,you're not alone.
Most of us go through thatpoint at some point, especially
in our 20s.
It's the time of explorationand growth.

(02:12):
And, yes, sometimes confusion,and that's okay.
Let's start with the idea ofpassion.
Passion is often taught as thisbig, burning desire that you're

(02:32):
supposed to feel very intenselyat all times.
But here's the thing Passiondoesn't always have to show up
as fireworks.
Sometimes it's more about quiet, persistent curiosity,
something that tucks on yourmind even if you don't

(02:55):
understand why.
So how do you start identifyingyour passions?
One of the best ways is to payattention to what naturally
draws your interest.
What are the things that youfind yourself thinking about or

(03:18):
wanting to learn more about inyour free time?
What activities make you losetrack of your time?
These are important clues.
They don't have to be somegrand thing or world changing.
Your passions could besomething as simple as baking,

(03:42):
or fascination with history, orthe desire to help others with
history, or the desire to helpothers.
Take a moment right now andthink about the last time that
you felt genuinely excited ordeeply interested in something,

(04:04):
and what was it?
Don't judge it or, you know,try to criticize yourself.
Just notice it.
These little moments are reallyimportant.
Those are the breadcrumbsleading towards figuring out
what your passion is, what yourtrue interests are your true

(04:31):
interests are.
Take a note of these momentsand, if you can take the notes
app or an actual notebook andwrite them down, have a list of
the moments that you felt alive.
Now let's talk about purpose.
While passion is about whatexcites you, purpose is about

(04:51):
what gives your life meaning.
What is the why behind what youdo?
Purpose is often tied to howyou contribute to the world,
whether it is through your work,your family, your relationships
, your community, your hobbies.

(05:13):
But here is the thing aboutpurpose it doesn't have to be
also some huge or overarchingmission.
Your purpose can be found inthe small, everyday actions that
make a difference, whether itis being a supportive friend or

(05:38):
creating something beautiful ormaking others smile.
You know, it can be as small asthat.
One of the best ways to startuncovering your purpose is by
thinking about what valuesmatter the most to you.

(05:59):
Is it kindness?
For me, it's definitelykindness the most important
value or maybe for you, it iscreativity or justice or a sense
of adventure Creativity orjustice or a sense of adventure?
Think about the things thatmake you feel fulfilled and how

(06:23):
can you incorporate more ofthose moments into your life.
Another exercise that can bereally helpful is to think about
the people that you admire.
What is it about them thatinspires you?

(06:44):
Often, the qualities that weadmire in others are the same
qualities we want to cultivatein ourselves.
This can be a very importantinsight into what is really
meaningful and purposeful to you.
So take a moment to write downthe people that you admire, or
the characteristics that youadmire in them, whether it's

(07:07):
that person with a lot of humoror charisma or an excellent
sense of style, or just likesomebody that's really
knowledgeable in a certain areaof life.
When you feel that, when youfeel that admiration, or in the
shadow side of it is when youfeel jealousy of somebody for

(07:30):
being a certain way.
That can also be a sign intowhich values are important to
you.
I remember when I was in myearly 20s, I had this idea that
I needed to figure everythingout right away.
That's the kind of idea that'spushed onto us right.

(07:52):
If I want to go to college or Idid really want to go to
college I expected myself tofigure out what I wanted to do
for the rest of my life.
At that time, I thought that Ineeded to find out what my
passions and all of my interestsare at the time, and if I

(08:16):
didn't, I was somehow failing.
But the truth is, finding yourpassion and purpose is more of a
journey than a destination.
Than a destination, it's aboutexploring different interests,

(08:39):
trying new things and allowingyourself to grow and learn and
change.
For example, I've always beeninterested in storytelling and
art, but it took me a while tofigure out which mediums work
for me or how I wanted toexpress that.
And I'm trying many things.
I'm trying writing, photography, painting, even some amateur

(09:03):
filmmaking and, of course, asyou can hear, podcasting, and
honestly, I enjoy all of thosethings.
Each of those experiences areteaching me something valuable,
even the ones that don't quitework or fit.

(09:24):
Every step and even everymisstep are bringing me closer
to what I really want to do.
So if you're feeling uncertain,give yourself permission to

(09:54):
explore and experiment.
It's okay not to have fromdifferent walks of life.
The more that you exposeyourself to different
experiences, the more you'lllearn about what really
resonates with you.
And remember your passion andpurpose can evolve over time,

(10:25):
over time.
What matters is that you'reopen to the process of
discovering and rediscoveringwhat makes you feel alive and
fulfilled.
Before we wrap up, I want toleave you with this thought
Finding your passion and purposeis not about creating a perfect
plan for your life.
It's about understandingyourself, what you really care

(10:48):
about and how you want to spendyour time.
You know this really preciouscollection of time that we've
got called life.
So take your time, be patientwith yourself if you don't

(11:09):
figure it out immediately, andtrust that with each new
experience that you're gettingcloser to knowing what makes
your life meaningful.
Thank you so much for joining metoday.

(11:29):
I hope this episode gave yousome helpful insights or at
least a little bit of comfort,if you're in the space of
figuring things out.
If you've enjoyed this episode,please consider subscribing and
leaving a review.
I would love to hear yourthoughts and any topics you'd

(11:54):
like me to cover in the future.
Until next time, remember.
Remember you don't have tofigure everything out right now.
Just keep exploring and growingand, most importantly, keep
being kind and compassionate toyourself.
You are doing better than youthink.