I like the quote I heard on youtube today: “Passion is a form of self-care”. Especially like this idea in light of psychologists’ research that finds passion is more often developed over time from interests in which significant time investments are made, not some force that once identified suddenly endows one with unlimited motivation. So if passion is a form of self-care, then both self-care and passion are the byproducts of significant time investment in self-directed interests.

From my observations and reading, children need lots of opportunities and support to dabble, test out, and follow different interests over their childhood/early adulthood until the length of their self-directed time investments begins to shake out those interests that are of most value to them. This is how we find our direction or passion in life. Along with integrity, compassion, and life skills, this is what should be at the heart of parenting and education. Regrettably, it often is not.

Where children were thwarted in this significant developmental area for whatever reason, they must create and support these missed opportunities for themselves as adults, often now having to grapple with significant self-esteem issues and time and income limitations during the process. A daunting endeavor that requires courage and perseverance, and hopefully includes supportive friends/family.

Running the gauntlet of an impatient and judgemental society in order to find their direction/ passion and recover their authentic voices, such brave souls who keep trudging along, no matter how small the progress or frequent the setbacks, are heros and heroines in my book. As a society, we fail these wounded adults–these lost and discarded children now grown whom we fail a second time around when we do not recognize, nourish, champion, and support their healthy efforts at authenticity and self-direction. Instead, let us honor their noble journey, even if they are only first braving this process as late as in their 90’s! 🌿