We are all enthusiastic and passionate about something, whether it is food, a hobby or a sport. I believe that passion can make us happy and successful in life. It makes us work towards what we want and reach our goals, and I’m speaking from my own experience. If you haven’t found your passion, I encourage you to find it. Do new things, go new places, and get surprised by what you experience.
Me (Julie), 20
When I meet new people, I lov
e to listen to them talk about their passions. I can see the passion in their eyes when they talk about it, and at the same time, it makes me more motivated to follow mine. I found my passion when I was 13 years old. I was born into the world of drag racing and I became a third generation drag racer when I was 8 years old. It has been a hobby for our family since drag racing came to Norway in the 1970´s. When I was 13,, my dad took me and my brother to a racetrack in America. I remember standing on the starting line watching race car drivers doing this for a living. I told myself “One day, that is going to be me.” My dream became bigger and I have followed my passion ever since. The first step was to apply for an athletic high school an hour away from my hometown, and then compete in the European Championship. After high school, I decided that I had to be closer to where drag racing is a huge deal: America. I will find out my next step during my years in America. Now when I live in the US, I’m only able to race when I’m home over the summers, but every chance I get to do something that involves drag racing I’ll do it. I have been traveling Europe doing what I love and it’s not going to stop there. I get excited, inspired and motivated!
I have talked with three students at Antioch to hear about their passions.
Karoline, 22
Karoline has a passion for being outdoors. She found her passion 5-6 years ago when she started running outside. After she found out that she loved running outside, she started to try out more than running. Hiking, paddling and walking are things that she does every week. It makes her relaxed and living in the present. She likes to move to new places that have different types of nature and offers different types of things to do. Right now she is experiencing life as a student in a place that is always sunny; The ocean is five minutes away from her house. Skateboarding, surfing and paddle boarding are three activities that she loves to do everyday in sunny California. She would also love to experience a place where there is always snow, or at least a place where she can have the choice of going snowboarding whenever she wants. She takes advantage of the outdoors as it makes her calm and more concentrated.
“It’s better to regret what you have done than what you haven´t”
Anna, 21
Anna´s passion is a want of changing the world’s brutal inequality. Today, she contributes in any way she can by giving money to “Help the Children”, fundraising for “Nourish the Children” and engaging in cases regarding animal rights. It makes her grateful that she has the ability to help, but at the same time, she is frustrated and sad that there even is a need for a so much change. She tells me that she watched a speech given by Angelina Jolie, receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2013 Governor’s Awards. Jolie described a woman with the same passions, work ethics, and love that she had, only she’s at a refugee camp with no voice. – “‘I don’t know why this is my life, and that’s hers…’ is a raw, brutal and true quote from her speech that I will remember forever,” Anna tells me.
In the future, Anna has a clear goal of visiting places around the world, helping to contribute to a better future.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Ghandi
Jennie, 21
Jennie’s passion is entrepreneurship, creating new ideas with other innovative and creative people. When Jennie has an idea that she can’t stop thinking about; she thinks it’s time to do something about it. She is not the type of person who likes to work for others, as it can get too boring for her and she doesn’t have the patience to wait on other people during projects. She would rather work with people that have the same passion and values as her, and make the most out of her time. Two years ago, when she moved to California, she started to write down ideas that she had about anything that came to her mind, and this is when she found out that entrepreneurship was her passion – not only a career choice. She explained to me that she was born to work as an entrepreneur and come up with new ideas. Just like some hairdressers, singers, and artists feel about their careers, she feels useful when she does anything that involves entrepreneurship. Being an entrepreneur makes her confident and she can feel the adrenaline rush through her veins when she takes risks and makes her projects real.
Sometimes she uses more time on her projects than school and that’s just because she thinks it is more interesting to work on her own projects. Antioch has allowed her to find a balance between working on school projects and her own projects, by working on her projects through her schoolwork, and that makes her feel good.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”– Neale Donald Walsch
Now that you have read about me and these three students, I hope you feel inspired to continue following your passion or go and find it!
