Finding Your Passion

MODULE #10

Brandon Liu Harvard University

2014

Betsy Tsai UC Los Angeles

2014

The purpose of th is module is actual ly not to have you read these s l ides and walk away wi th a c lear v is ion of what you s incerely love to do, but rather at ta in an int roductory understanding that passion, l ike success and sel f -fu l f i l lment is one of those immeasurable th ings that you must g ive your own face to. Passion is something that your own mind conceptual izes, so i t ’ s expected that as your mind develops as a resul t of t ime and exper ience, so wi l l your concept ions of your goals , your passion, and dr ive. Because “passion” has such a f lu id connotat ion, i t’d be more appropr iate that we t i t le th is module, Developing Your Passion .

Best , Brandon & Betsy

Introduction

I. Don’t stress about finding your passion.

“Happiness is not a goal, it is a by -product” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Similarly, passion is not something that you actively seek. It is something that will eventually come. And when it does, it creeps on you slowly and naturally, so that you won ’t even notice that it happened!

PASSION COMES NATURALLY

You should not be expected to find your passion in high school

Most people do not find their passion by college graduation

There is still so much in this world that you have yet to experience!

Developing your passion is a lifelong process.

What does that mean for me? What can I do now?

If you're thinking about college, don't feel as if college selection is a burdensome choice that will seal your future.

Think about schools as environments. Don't think of Johns Hopkins as exclusively as a pre-medical school, or of Univ. of the Pacific as a pharmacy school. The truth is, they're not.

People simply don ’t “find” their passion in high school.

That "passionate" work ethic you're looking for takes time to develop. Focus on how you can best show your strengths.

Developing your passion is a lifelong process.

Do what you love, and don ’t worry about finding a passion or turning any of your activities into a life -long passion.

No one in high school actually knows what it means to be passionate about something, so don ’t l isten if someone pressures you to find your passion!

The extreme few who are mature beyond their years may have developed a passion, but they will understand that a passion cannot be forced and that it takes a long time and great maturity.

Focus on what you love.

Just do what you love.

Forget about “passion”

Or, if you ’re not sure what you love, try different things with an open mind and open heart. You ’ l l f ind what you love with time.

“Passion” in high school

Jessica E.

Perspectives

Brandon

Betsy

"I would estimate that over 95% of people I've met in college still have not yet found their passion. It's the common struggle shared by everyone here at

school. Nobody knows what they wants to do yet -- but that's exactly what college is for!"

"In high school, my own passion and sincere drive were incredibly important to

me to the point where I'd constantly ensure that I wanted to do the things I did

for emotional and intellectual development. However, I do think that because of

that, I turned a blind eye to other activities and college options because more often than not I didn't give things the benefit of the doubt.“

“You will be most successful doing the things you love.”

II. Be open-minded.

Don’t be locked into what you already know or are already good at, or what your community, or peers influences you to think This includes what you do and how you think.

Passion comes in varying degrees and in different forms. You won't necessarily embody “passion” in the same form or magnitude as someone else. That also doesn't make you any less of a person. The only thing

that could make you any less of a person is a bad attitude.

Futility of Competition: Trying to be better than someone else at something you don’t like might cause interpersonal and intrapersonal pressures.

Don’t have an idea of what passion or

happiness looks like.

Perspectives

Brandon

Betsy

“I’m continually surprised by all the things I learn as I’ve grown in college. I always surprise myself by the way that I continually change in the way I think,

the things I enjoy, and the way I view the world. Always be open to what the future has in store – you’ll never know what’s going to happen!"

"Think about soulmates. How do you know for sure what your soulmate

looks like? If you are so bent on finding what you think fits you, you might

walk right by opportunities that will challenge you and shape you into a

passionate individual.”

Case Study | Annie W.

Betsy

Story: Annie was admitted to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts as a Film Production major, and while she had a ball producing and screenwriting, she also found her other classes intellectually compelling. After graduating, she worked as a producer for CNN. I met her as a Fulbright scholar in Israel, making documentaries about "youth villages" and refugees and learned how she eventually found that she sought to be do things in which she would be “contributing” more to the world. The only way she could discover that was to be patient through the years. She plans to attend Columbia University as a graduate student in journalism and international relations.

"Annie inspires me because while she did ultimately pursue film, her first love, she allowed her open mind to see, understand, and live the narratives she saw around her, probably in places she never anticipated as a college student, and

her life represents a remarkable synthesis of her past ambitions and her sympathetic, sincere responses to the world around her."

Case Study | Rachael Ray

Betsy

Story: Rachael Ray is known primarily for her television presence and influence America's food & lifestyle culture. Her bubbly talent and ambition has resulted in her hosting 3+ shows of her own, as well as the publication of her own lifestyle magazine, and the Yum-O! charity foundation. However, although she launched her career by being discovered while conducting classes at a gourmet market, she had dreams of a career in writing and journalism, first. What we can learn from her life is that what worked out for her did not necessarily entail what she thought her calling was. We can't know for sure where her "true" passions lie, maybe they've changed over the course of her life. (It's likely.)

"I once told my mom: 'hey, if this film thing doesn't work out, at least I can be the next Rachael Ray.'"

Your career might not fully embody your passions, but you can still live a happy, fulfilling life.

Don't l ie to yourself.

You may have to “talk yourself up” in the future as far as networking and job -searching goes,

but don't talk yourself up to yourself .

Passion— if overrated and idealized, can be very hard to attain. Show self-respect .

The brevity of this module can attest to how personal your sense and practice of passion is to you, and how much you

should be a part of the decisions you make, and not us.

Be the best you can be, not simply the best. Since when did “best” = “genuine?”

In Closing…

THANK YOU! BRANDON LIU | BETSY TSAI

HARVARD UNIVERSITY |UC LOS ANGELES BRANDON.K.L IU@GMAIL .COM | BETSYRTSAI@GMAIL .COM