Lets Talk… Interests

I wanted this to be my first official post because figuring out my interests has been an area that I have personally struggled with and I believe it’s far too common in our generation to not be spoken about. This process has often filled me with so much uncertainty, specifically feeling as if there is a time limit on determining what my interests are and at some points have left me feeling lost, purposeless and one step behind.

I get bored easily and a lot of things don’t necessarily keep me interested, so I felt like I had to dig deep to figure out what sparks passion within me. Someone once told me to just focus on the things you’re naturally drawn to and explore it. As someone who overthinks, this advice has reminded me to not overcomplicate the meaning of interests.

For as long as I can remember I have always been drawn to adoption. I never fully understood why, but I found myself following several families on social media who have adopted or are waiting to adopt. I read their stories, empathize with them and realize that I am on this journey with them. I get so invested in staying updated with these families that I begin to feel their anticipation, joy, or sadness. I have been able to learn a good number of things from these families, seeing the good, the bad and everything in between because they’ve shared their personal experiences. Although the process seems unpredictable I have always had a natural love for adoption and it has been on my heart to one day adopt.

Another area that’s always been near to my heart is social work. I know that sounds very broad because there are many areas of social work to focus on. Being an accounting major I spent most of my college career focused on progressing myself within that world and completing my degree. In my senior year, which was my 5th year of college, I figured it was about time to explore my interests. Fortunately, I got a job at an adult foster care and nothing warmed my heart more. Don’t get me wrong some aspects of the job were challenging, as I was working with patients who suffered from mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This experience made me feel impactful, genuinely happy, and selfless. Selfless in the sense that I was able to feel love and compassion despite not initially knowing them. I was also able to volunteer at a supportive housing facility for a short period of time, and being surrounded by parents and children who were so appreciative to the staff and open to accepting help was humbling. It allowed me to realize what brought joy into my life.

Lastly, one of the things that led me to starting my blog is my advice-giving skills! This is something I personally didn’t realize for myself until it was pointed out by multiple people, so I decided to dig deeper into it. I often find myself being a listening ear to the people closest to me. I love being able to give advice and seeing that they found it useful, genuinely makes me smile. I want to use this platform to do something similar, while also sharing my thoughts.

P.S. Don’t dim your light! If you’re naturally gifted at something, don’t let fear stop you from going after it head on. I get intimidated by speaking up, so this was a big step for me. I was honestly tired of being stuck and feeling “mediocre” and that’s because I knew there was so much more for me to give and the only thing holding me back was myself. These are just things that naturally came to me and instead of overthinking and seeing it as not “good enough” I tapped into them.