You know that feeling when you finish a book or movie and you realize it’s something that will linger in your mind for days because of how memorable it was? It starts shaping your thoughts the more you remind yourself of it. There are a few books and movies that I finished months or years ago that I still think about daily. Not because I’m trying to, but because they became a part of me. Those stories that I still carry with me have left me inspired today to try and write a book of my own that gives someone that same feeling.
Finding what you love to do and being proud of it is hard, even when you know what it is. When I first started thinking about the idea of wanting to become an author, I knew it would take a lot of time, and it wouldn’t always be easy. But when I started to create stories from my mind, I became fascinated and in love with the idea of becoming an author. The way I would create fake conflicts for characters, along with resolutions to them, just inside my head, made me truly look forward to what things could become.
Whether it’s music, drawing, coding or fixing cars, we all have something that makes us happy no matter what. Not necessarily because it’s popular, but because it feels like it’s ours. It’s something that can seem like work to others, but feels more like a hobby to us. But finding something you feel so strongly about and believe in is not easy.
It’s normal not to know what you love to do yet, so don’t feel pressured into believing you have to know right now. Many people push themselves to follow certain ideas of what they love to do only because of what others see in them, but that doesn’t make it true to themselves. It’ll come to you when you find it, and you’ll know instantly because of how important it can become in your life.
Whatever you love, or end up loving to do, it doesn’t have to be your career (or only career). So many people in the world have done the hard part. They’ve found the things they love to do, but they push them aside because it won’t meet their standards for a career. They then go on with their lives and push themselves to only focus on their jobs or making money rather than doing something they necessarily love. It’s okay to have priorities and to follow that career that could be more beneficial to you, but it’s also important to find time for something you enjoy spending your time doing.
Along with people pushing away what they love to do, many don’t take pride in what they love. When I started writing for myself, I only told three people. Not because I didn’t want others to know, but because I didn’t want people to hate the idea that I love. However, over time I’ve been more comfortable sharing my story ideas with friends and family, and luckily when I told them, they were supportive of it and made me love it even more. But either way, share what you love with the world and keep doing it, no matter how difficult it gets. If there is something you feel strongly about and it’s something that you love, it’s okay to chase it, even if you’re chasing the problems that come with it.
And although there’s a chance you might not love doing the same thing you do today in 10 years, and I might not love writing fictional stories in the future, we need to try and enjoy every second of what we love while we can and take pride in doing it.
