Back in 2017, I wrote some reflections about the well-intentioned yet potentially misleading mantra: "Follow your passion." Now, having had the privilege of mentoring young individuals who are up to 10 years my junior, I find that this message still holds tremendous weight. When I mentor, it often feels like a conversation with my younger self—a gentle reminder of the journey I've embarked on and the lessons I'm eager to share.
I was wary of the pervasive advice to blindly chase passions. Today, my years of experience and mentoring have only strengthened that belief. Nature versus nurture isn’t a battle to be won; it's a collaboration. It's a disservice to think that roles such as sanitation engineers, bus drivers, assembly workers, bricklayers, and other foundational professions signify settling for less. More than ever, I see the futility in job-hopping in pursuit of an elusive "passion" that may or may not exist. Of course, there are legitimate reasons to job-hop (I’ve worked hard to be intentional with this in my own career), but it's vital to distinguish between meaningful change and mere restlessness from unexamined discontent.
It’s hard to separate this topic from deep personal values. Seeing the pursuit of passion as an excuse for laziness is disheartening, and I've been guilty of it. As a person of faith, I believe it’s most human to engage in work—the broadest definition of work—with diligence and resilience, using our God-given gifts, not just for worldly success but to fulfill a common good. Regardless of one's faith or beliefs, it's not a stretch to presume that true meaning, purpose, and joy emerge from such intentional work.
With age and experience, the silver linings become clearer. I'm eager to share these insights and am refining how I convey them to whoever it might help.
Each individual possesses a unique blend of innate tendencies and learned behaviors, which, when fostered, can mature into deep interests. It's the nurturing of these interests, even amid adversity, that births genuine passions. The drive, I've observed, to elevate an interest to a passion often springs from a personal mission.
The journey of self-discovery and personal growth remains vital. To the gracious (and brave) folks who trusted me to be their mentor: delve into your interests, embrace failures as growth opportunities, make decisions based on the life you want and not the other way around, understand your core motivations, and most importantly, discover and define your mission based on unshakeable values.
The rollercoaster that was my twenties taught me invaluable lessons and helped shape my mission: empowering others to harness their unique, God-given potential. It might seem broad and perhaps sound familiar, but it has consistently connected the work I excel in with the areas where I make the most impact.
So, with a few more wrinkles and a lot more experience, here's my advice that has not changed since 2017:
Don’t merely chase a passion.
Nourish your interests, discern your mission, and on that foundation, let genuine passion take root and thrive.
Many people approach me about transitioning into UX. Yet, despite my own success in the field, I often advise against diving in with just blind optimism and fully letting go of previous paths. Instead, I typically kick off with coaching sessions, helping individuals discover their unique 'north star'—designing a life where they can truly thrive and find joy.
If our journey together reveals a different, more rewarding path for them, I consider it a success. Believe it or not, this happens more times than you'd think, and I couldn't be happier for all of you who've found that clarity.
It's been incredible to watch this message evolve and become even more relevant today. I hope that as you read this, whether you're a younger version of myself or someone from my generation, you find value in these words and share them with others. Here are the unshakeable words that inspired my journey to discern my personal mission:
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
1 Corinthians 12: 4 - 7, NIV