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Q: I always see articles that say you should be passionate about your job. I like practicing law, but I am not sure I am passionate about it. Is that OK or should I be looking for another career path?
A: Much has been written in the last few years about finding and following your passion in choosing a career path. While we don’t discount the importance of passion as a component of a fulfilling life, it is certainly possible to be satisfied with your job and not feel that your job is your passion.
Some people feel they have a “calling” in life. One particular career path calls out to them loudly and clearly. They feel that they could not imagine being happy doing anything else. We all know someone who has become a minister, doctor, or teacher out of sheer passion. A few people, like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Albert Einstein, find one thing that fuels them and permeates everything they do in life. For them, passion is narrowly channeled.
Often those with a passion and a calling become engrossed in their work. They talk about it all the time, they think about it when they are not on the job, and they closely associate who they are with what they do. To them, this is a logical outgrowth of their passion. To others, it may look like they’ve gone overboard.
Contrast that type of passionate commitment to a particular profession or career path with your situation—someone who simply likes what she does. You may have a number of interests or things you enjoy. We call your situation one of balanced passion.
This means that you do not have one particular passion but a set of interests that call out to you. Because you are balancing more than one interest, your passion for each is balanced by your passion for the others. As a result, you may truly enjoy each of the parts of your life—work, family, friends, hobbies, community involvement—and not necessarily feel that you are “passionate” about any one of them in particular.
If balanced passion describes you, then your situation is more common than you think—many people live this way. They do work they enjoy, they have relationships that nurture them, and they have hobbies or activities that fulfill them. To answer your question: as long as you enjoy what you do and feel fulfilled in your life, then there is likely no need to re-examine your career path.
