I think I agree, maybe?

"Follow your passion is bad career advice" - Huffington Post

Interesting read - CLICK HERE

I have always been a go-getter if you will. the kind of person that likes to be challenged and then succeed. i mean, who doesn't? i wouldn't say that i settle or that i am content with just going through the motions. i am not the kind of person that is professionally fulfilled living in my small town, having a small job and leading a "simple" life. i don't think i really have ever been that way. i do know that i want my cake and i'd like to eat it too. but, when you think about passion or happiness or you think abut what makes you want to enjoy your life to the fullest...following your passion might seem like a good idea.... until now. 

i read this article last night and it takes the wondrous spirit every young twenty-something has and questions the motive. unfortunately, i think i agree with it? what about you?

"Year after year, you perform work that makes full use of your skills and challenges you to develop new ones. Your work not only interests you, it gives you a sense of meaning. You enjoy opportunities for learning and development. You work with people who energize you. You are confident that your skills and competencies make you valuable and marketable and that you can access opportunities through your network. You are able to fit your work together with the other things in your life that are important to you, like family, friends, and leisure."

this article begs the question, "Is it better to discover your passion, or develop it?" and like i mentioned, i seem to think the latter. 

it can be "easy" to want to pack up, pick up and move on in search for what you are passionate about. it could be photography, it could be traveling, it could be the arts or even science...all things that people so carelessly in a moments notice can make big life decisions in an attempt to obtain. what makes this idea even more challenging is witnessing people who have followed "their passion" and don't actually work a day in their lives (or their new lives) because they love their job that much. you know the kind... the photographers, the mom bloggers or the artists that can actually make a living (a comfortable one at that, doing what they feel they are set on this earth to do) I'm fairly certain Confucius once said something along those lines.

"Instead of focusing on passion, look deeply at what energizes you, what you find rewarding, what you're good at and what comes to you easily. Valcour advises examining your high and low points at work, and identifying the times that you felt more energized, engaged and fulfilled -- and why you felt this way."

i think being self aware in situations like these are important for discovering what makes you happy and fulfilled or simply content...therefore passionate about life, not just a profession. everyone has dreams, or at least they should, but it might not always be the right career move to chase them if you could be passionate about what you have in front of you. 

now, if you've tried to engage with your surroundings and develop your passion, and still are in search for something more then it might be time to discover something else.

like i said, i think i agree, maybe?

Traveling mind

I'm not a world traveler, I'm not a "preferred access" flyer or even a public transportation pro. I am however, a traveling mind. I've had a few zip codes and I hold on to my rubber-ware storage bins because I am sure to use them every few years or so. It's not something I really wished for, nor really something that I "enjoy". however, with all of that said and because of my little imperfect game plan, I am certainly a traveling mind.

sure, it's been a while since my last post and I've without a doubt lost my mind once or twice since then but in my travels recently, I've been able to think about a variety of things. they are as follows;

1. i'm tired. i'm always tired. call it a post graduate problem or PGP, or call it being lame... all I know is that living on my own makes me tired. i go to bed early and i can still wake up late. when i travel... it only gets worst therefore making me even more boring than usual. i have also found that i for some reason have more energy in the following places; beach bars, while getting ready to go out with a cold beer in my hand, in Columbia sc, and while driving through Perkasie at dusk. yep, all true.

2. my brother is a positive soul. he is absolutely beaming with optimism and good energy. he never ever complains even after working a tough, messy job standing on his feet all day. no matter what, when you ask my brother how his day at work went "it was great!" ... talk about perspective. i took notes from his book this weekend. - he also stays up very late...he's a good egg and clearly much more fun than i am.

3. my patience for airports and people in airports is not high....and is shrinking by the trip. i am not a Ron Paul supporter or crazy anti-tsa creep, BUT mark my words, there are plenty of weird old men that work those "screening" booths and enjoy it. yes, i just said that. and yes, it's a fact.

4. it is important to spend time with your grandparents, even if it is just an hour or so. their time is precious and they are the real "travelers".... of life. and that, that's pretty interesting conversation if you ask me. conversation that I miss when i'm by myself hundreds of miles away.

5. i don't talk when i eat. my mom thinks it's because i live alone. i think she is right. it was funny when she pointed that out, even more funny that it is entirely true.

6. gin blossom's pandora station is awesome. i recommend it when hanging out with family and friends during your "travels" and late nights. you're welcome.

7. i miss my dog. a lot. i've missed his first swim and his first night's sleep outside of a crate and well, that really really sucks.

8. i'm not outdoorsy. i think that the mountains are pretty and i think that the water that runs through the Rockies is the best i've ever drank but, i'm not outdoorsy. i also don't like driving on winding roads up 11,000 feet. in the back of a bus. period... never again.

9. i have a new song that makes me cry. it is perfect for flying, or leaving your family, or sitting alone or driving slow. sara bareilles - satellite call.

10. i want to be more of a live in the moment kind of person. i've tried. it's not in my guts and it makes me mad when it is brought to my attention... i can only do so much, but i'll work on it, or at least continue to be self aware and act like it doesn't bother me.

11. home cooked meals are always better when they are cooked by your parents. i've tried to make some good home cooked meals but they never turn out as great as something cooked on the grill in your old back yard or something that has the love of 3 other people to enjoy it with you... i'll have to work on that too.

12. the concept of "vacation days" make me cringe. i live my life on "vacation days" or the lack there of. i hate that "vacation days" are so hard to come by and so short lived. my life is a "vacation day". i NEED more vacation days. but then again, who doesn't?... add it to the "work on it" list.

13. no matter the hassle, the frustrating baggage claims, or even the long delays and traffic jams...whatever is at the crux of the traveling, it's always worth it. seeing family, laughing loud, eating good eats, and exploring new things are always worth it. sure, i may not think that at the time...but right about now, flying 35,000 feet over the distance between me and everyone else...i always realize it is worth it. 

better late than never. right?