What you choose to focus on may not be as important as the fact that you are focusing on something and putting your heart and soul into it. Even a dull rock can become shiny if you spend enough time polishing it, if you know what I mean.
I agree. But that nasty demon of 'choice' is still there. Assuming I'm equally passionless about everything, how would I go about choosing something? If I were to choose something in this way, then I would wind up in what you said in your first paragraph--bored, without stimulation, and depressed.
I just can't understand how passion works... is it a switch that goes off in peoples' minds? Did they just choose something because they didn't consider other options (that's part of my problem, all I see is options)? Are the passionless people I see the ones who complain in their dehumanizing jobs, yet continue until they 'retire'? I don't want to end up like that.
I do understand and agree with what you're saying though.
Every instrument sounds bad when you first pick it up and attempt to play it. So it seems like none of these instruments are capable of fulfilling your passion. But any one one of those instruments could sound amazing if you take the time to master it.
So it's not so important which instrument you pick, all of them have potential, what's important is how much effort you're willing to put into making the instrument sound the way you want it to.
What you need to be passionate about is the journey from beginner level to master level. The instrument is just a tool that allows you to take this journey.
Though boredom comes easily for us, I would imagine that after you start getting results (once you're over that initial "hump" of boredom) with whatever you're working on, you would become more excited, not less. While it's uncomfortable, sometimes forcing ourselves to do things that have lost their initial luster is the only way to get to where we want to be, and that place is often worth the tedium. Like Dolly Parton (and about a hundred others, in different words) said, "If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."I agree. But that nasty demon of 'choice' is still there. Assuming I'm equally passionless about everything, how would I go about choosing something? If I were to choose something in this way, then I would wind up in what you said in your first paragraph--bored, without stimulation, and depressed.
Thanks for sharing, this is something I experience as well. One thing that helps me is the Buddhist practice of visualizing a corpse of an animal on the side of the road, and realizing that your body is no different... it too will be reduced to blood, bones, and eventually nothing. Instead of feeling defeatist, it actually frees me up from the pressure I put on myself, then I can actually get stuff done.
True. And good instrument analogy. I just don't have the stick-with-it-ness. It could be a terrible habit that I've held on to since childhood. Seems kind of ADD to me. Sometimes I'll find something kind of interesting, so I'll devote my time to it. Then I find something more interesting, and I wonder why I wasted my time with the first thing. Now I guess I know myself all to well so I'm scared to start in another direction. But now the stagnation is getting to me--life has a way of keeping us on our toes.It sounds like you are paralyzed by choice, and that is what is holding you back.
Very nice quote. I've always wondered about gifts. I've heard that people have a natural bent towards some task, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's also their interest. I can't find either one! Hahaha. I think it helps when people are reinforced or given positive feedback as @adverseaffects mentioned. I've never really had that, besides my mom who thinks I'm a genius at everything--but that doesn't help.It seems the longing for meaning and purpose nags at every human being, on some level. The dream is different for everyone, but I believe that we've all been created with a unique task and unique gifts. There's a quote, "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." Sometimes we just don't know where our genius lies. We all have it somewhere. But many times, our ability to realize our dreams is...sabotaged.
I imagine a Wikipedia article written about my own life. I cringe. :sad: