After watching the Olympics, I couldn’t help but feel inspired. I felt inspired to finish school and enter the workforce with a sense of purpose. I felt inspired to make a difference. As I listened to athlete after athlete talk about their journey to London, all I could think about was finding my passion. Each athlete competes for reasons far beyond winning a gold medal. They compete for the love of the game, and this is where their passion comes from. Now you may not be an Olympian, but I’m betting there’s still something academic that spikes your interest.
Most Olympians train for years to make it to the games. But for those of us who aren’t star athletes, college provides us with a foundation to find our calling. The majority of schools require students to take “general education requirements” before taking classes for their major (aka classes that they think they want to take). Many students disparage these early requirements, but for some, these classes can be the spark that piques their curiosity. They can be the catalyst that spawns the next president or the doctor that cures cancer. For most students, these obligations are the beginning of the quest to discover their passion.
Olympic athletes devote themselves to their sport, and we devote ourselves to our career. An internship marks the beginning of the corporate marathon. The purpose of an internship is to determine whether the intern may be a good fit for the profession. It also helps the young professional pinpoint exactly what they enjoy about the job (and what they don’t). In turn, the intern is provided with a better sense of who they are as a professional.
But in the end, it all comes down to finding your passion. Something that many adults will admit can be extremely elusive. When it’s found, your passion will be the driving factor behind your career (and your life in general). It will give you the “why” behind your vision, and this is what will make you successful as both a person and a professional.
