God has equipped each of us with specific gifts. These gifts are the tools we use to fulfill our purpose.
You may have figured out what your gifts are, or you may not. Take a second to think about what you naturally do well.
Maybe you cook well; ever considered being a dietician? Are you good at mathematics? You could be the financial adviser students need to explain the loan repayment process before they naively accumulate excessive debt.
It’s important to consider your purpose when choosing your major. Don’t short-change yourself, and don’t make the mistake of choosing a major based on the crowd. You’ll regret it in the long run.
Instead really take time to consider your skills and in what way you can use them to impact the community.
Not everyone is meant to be a professional ball player. There are roughly 1,696 players in the NFL, and approximately 446 players in the NBA. With that being said, if you have a gift of athleticism, broaden your horizon. Why not be creative and open a nonprofit gym for children or the elderly. Use your skills to teach teens to release frustration in a healthy way.
If you’re a gifted lyricist, why not choose to major in mass communication? Your words could be published and impact more people than you may ever reach with music. Those issues and struggles discussed in those rhymes will be cemented in history.
I encourage everyone to pursue his or her passion, but your purpose is what yields a meaningful life.
For example, I love to sing. I’m not the best, but I could wake up every morning and work hard on my voice and possibly make it as a background singer. But this wouldn’t be serving my community in any way. It would only feed my ego.
Instead I use my gift of writing in order to inspire and enlighten readers. I may not be on a stage, but I am just as — if not more — fulfilled than I would be as a vocalist. And who’s to say that I can’t do both?
That goes for you, too.
Now, some can afford to pursue their passion first and find a way to tie their purpose in and lead an impactful life. Not all of us are privileged enough to pursue our passion or hobbies full-time. And, our hobbies may not be the things that help us leave our mark on the world.
Some of us need to pursue our purpose in order to finance our passion.
We all have to decide our career path one day. But when you do, ask yourself is this my purpose or my passion?
Regina Love is a senior mass communication major from Kansas City, Missouri.