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Trying to Find Your Passion? Act like a Kid

A group of children running past the sun.

When it comes to finding your passion, it helps to think in terms of discovery: start by being curious, trying new things, and seeing what sticks.

And while much is written about how to do this, we can learn a lot from the masters of discovery: children.

On Quora, a reader asked, “What should I do with my life?” Entrepreneur Oliver Pemberton suggested acting like a child.

"Kids are Geniuses

We rarely prize people for acting like a child. The world is forever telling us to “grow up” and “take responsibility”, as if anything else is a bug in the system. On the contrary – childish behaviour can be quite brilliant.

  • Kids try many things. Stupid things, like eating soil or rollerskating on ice. But they’re fearless and relentless.
  • Kids don’t know what they don’t know. So they question everything.
  • Kids are easily bored. They live in fantasy worlds because present reality is limiting.

Such behaviour is spectacularly good at figuring out the world and your part in it. Acting like a kid is a brilliant way to explore your boundaries and deduce your strengths. Ideally, your childhood is when you stumble upon your passions, leaving your adult years to focus on them."

Read the rest of his response on Quora.

How can you embrace your inner kid to discover your passion? Go play. Try different things to see what you enjoy.


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by Allison Jones

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