By Jennifer Iannolo
 
I’ve heard much discussion lately on the topic of passion, and whether or not the pursuit of it is a worthy way to spend one’s career. I’ve also seen the Millennial generation commit themselves to pursuing careers that give their lives meaning, whether it entails creating a surfing school in Costa Rica, or moving to Washington, DC to create positive change.
 
From my viewpoint, each of the above examples has merit. I’m in the camp of believers that discovering your passion, and finding a way to make it your life’s work, is not only a worthy pursuit, but a necessary one.
 
My opponents in the other camp are equally adamant about their viewpoint: Rather than create a generation of disappointed dreamers pursuing impractical passions, let’s teach them to develop passion for a career that has a solid future.
 
These may seem, at the outset, to be slightly different shades of the same thing, but there is an important distinction: In the “pursue your passion” camp’s view, creating a surfing school in Costa Rica is on equal par with taking on Washington. Why? Because it’s about the individual and his/her happiness -- no one else’s. In the opposing camp, the surfing school would likely be seen as a self-indulgent, feckless pursuit. It’s not practical, so get a job in corporate America and surf on your vacation time.
 
It’s important for us to remember, however, that our nieces and nephews are growing up in a world we often do not recognize. Even the most corporate of corporate jobs do not come with a guarantee, and we are in a time period when entrepreneurship and innovation have created jobs out of nowhere. There is no generation better primed to dream big than theirs -- and so it is up to us to provide a framework that encourages their dreams and innovation in a way that is tangible.
 
As someone who is (perhaps overly) committed to living my passion, I find myself walking a fine line when talking to my Rent-A-Kids. My life choice of entrepreneurship and pursuing my dreams has come at great opportunity costs, so I try to prepare them as best I can for the reality of pursuing a goal with relentless fervor. They have witnessed my roller coaster ride, and I’m fairly sure that from their view, it looks like a wonderful adventure. (And it is.)
 
I also know, however, that my tolerance for risk and willingness to go out on the teeny weeny skinny branches deviates a great deal from the norm. It’s not for everyone, so until and unless I’m certain a person equals my standard deviation, I’m not likely to recommend it as a course of action!
 
My godson is an excellent example of this challenge, and I’m facing the gauntlet with him right now. He’s an excellent football player with a good shot at playing college football, and as he enters his senior year, he has some important choices to make. A few years ago all he could see was the NFL, and wanted that with a burning passion. I encouraged him to nurture that dream, and to present that in a realistic light I also introduced him to statistics, history and documentaries showing every step of the college and NFL drafts. I showed him that 1% of ALL football players in the US make it to the NFL, and without dashing his dreams, gave him a solid reality check so he knew what kind of goal he was pursuing.
 
Most importantly, I really listened to see if playing for the NFL was truly his passion, or if he wanted to be around the game of football. This is an important distinction.
 
I know that from my own career path, with two decades in the world of fine food and wine, I’ve played just about every role one can in the industry; I’m now sure of what I don’t want. So with my nephew, I started throwing ideas at him. Was he interested in working in the offices of the NFL, or for a team? Did he want to be a coach? Was he interested in the medical side of sports? We’re now looking at the broad range of possibilities so he can start on a path, but let it organically unfold.
 
I find it unreasonable to ask a 17-year-old what he wants to be when he grows up, so this fuels his passion without tying him to an outcome. Though there are some of us for whom the life goal is crystal clear, and our passion has called to us from a very young age, I’ve found that to be the exception. So instead, as mentors and guides, we can listen more carefully to what’s happening beneath the surface.
 
If you happen to find yourself in that kind of conversation, where your niece wants to be an astronaut, or your nephew wants to be a bona fide rock star, listen for what’s really driving that. Does your niece really want to be an astronaut, or is she fascinated with science and cosmology? Does your nephew have an unbridled passion for music? Does he want to teach it, play it, write it?
 
Remember, as aunts, we have the opportunity to be that safe, open space where they can reveal their dreams to us, and maybe talk about the things they wouldn’t mention to a parent out of fear of being dismissed. Let’s indulge them in a healthy way that empowers them to make choices they will find fulfilling, and help them to understand that even the most outlandish dreams are possible -- and they come with requirements and costs.
 
In the end, it isn’t so much that there are two opposing camps. I believe we can have one solid camp in favor of dreams and passions that are pursued with a healthy outlook and an acknowledgement of what is required. Won’t you come and join my camp? I’ll be in the luxury tent making dream boards with my Rent-A-Kids.

Jennifer Iannolo is the founder of The Gilded Fork™ and Culinary Media Network™, the world’s first all-food podcast channel. She is now the COO at YSN.com, where she empowers ambitious young people from around the world to ignore the system and create the lives of their dreams.

Photo: via Flickr cc
Published: August 5, 2014