Finding Passion in Your Work

Imagine a middle-aged man walking down the busy morning streets, wearing a fitted charcoal grey suit. He is carrying a briefcase stuffed with papers and preparing to spend the rest of his day in a cubicle staring mindlessly at a computer.

Sounds like the stereotypical job, does it not? There is a reason this vision is familiar. It seems that many adults nowadays have found themselves stuck in the daily grind of “work.”

As college students prepare to enter the workforce, it is important that they consistently ask themselves, “Where will I be happiest? How can I ensure self-fulfillment in my career?”

Although these questions seem intimidating at first, the answer is really quite simple: Find passion.

For Charlie Keeting, a business student at Grand Canyon University’s Honors College, this theory of “finding your passion” seemed all too natural. He talked about his lifelong love for business, as well as his newer interest in photography.

Although at a first glance these two interests seem unrelated, Keeting found a way to seamlessly intertwine the two. He grew up watching his father run his own business, then found his love for photography later in life, which he described with so much passion and interest that you would think that he had been holding a camera since birth.

Similarly, Cathleen Daly, an honors communications major at GCU, described how her passions have switched consistently throughout her life, specifically community service, modeling, photography and writing. Recently, she found a way to incorporate all of them into one – creating a blog. She is racking up viewers and subscribers monthly as she writes about anything from how to “Love Your Life,” to the weekly “Motivation Monday.”

Coincidently, both Keeting and Daly have been able to link their passions effortlessly to their majors. They have been able to find the value in infusing the two together. In response to this, Daly realized, “Your passions will help drive your major, as well as your major will help make your passions become a reality. It is important to be passionate about your major and realize that your major can help fuel your passions.”

Keeting recognized the benefits of connecting the two as well, commenting on how taking business classes in the Colangelo College of Business have helped him start his art business: “I have learned how to start my own company through entrepreneurship. I now know how to market myself and how to interact with customers.”

He also talked about how running his photography business helps him in his major. “It can make you see business from a different perspective if you are the one running it.”

Coincidently, both of their interests and career paths seem to fit flawlessly together; however, if yours do not, that is perfectly okay too. Having completely separate interests creates a perfect balance between your work and personal life, and gives you a more diverse skillset and set of experiences.

Keeting commented, “I think having multiple interests and doing things out of your comfort zone makes you more of a well-rounded person.” Daly agreed, “It will help you learn more about the world and people around you.”

Listening to Daly and Keeting speak so passionately about their futures gives a vision into the future, that possibly one day when faced with the word “work,” instead of thinking of a tired man carrying a briefcase, we will think of excited and inspired groups of people, waking up excited to start their day.

After all, without passion, a “career” is just a job.

Bottom line? Find something – anything – and just be passionate.

Grand Canyon University offers a variety of degree programs through nine distinct colleges to help you find your purpose – and your passion. Learn more by visiting our website or contacting us today using the Request More Information button at the top of the page.