Thoughts #7: What makes your soul sing?

A lot times, I've lately come across a the question, "What do you want to do with your life?" And more often than not, people answer with a generic statement: 'I want to be happy', 'I want a job that makes me happy', 'I want to be financially stable', ..etc. We've heard them all. But, I think the more thought-provoking question is, "What makes your soul sing?", as said by John Lilly in a lecture called "White Space is Everywhere" at Stanford University.

I haven't figured that out yet. I think it'll take a lot more experiences before I come to that realization.

Here's a relevant article from Huffington Post. Although, they take on a different perspective by asking, "What pain do you want?" I think that's a somewhat cynical view of approaching life goals, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

The take away from the lecture and article boils down clearly deciding what you want in life. As much advice as you receive from everyone, family, friends, mentors, etc.. the final decision ultimately comes down to what you think is best for you. When I'm asked, "what makes your soul sing?", these words present such a romantic view of what I'd like to do with my life and I feel I can truly connect with what it's asking and subsequently, deeply reflect on its implications.

Honestly, I think it's hard for people to decide on what they want to do with their life. But, thinking about, or reflecting upon, what the soul desires gives a far better answer than I could imagine. I feel I immediately respond to my passions when I couldn't pinpoint it being asked what I want in life.

So, you're curious, of course, what DOES make my soul sing? Well, helping people, at its very basic level. In more detail, helping people realize their potential, helping people realize that potential by providing them with the best tools available, and helping people build an empathetic connection with those tools at hand. For industrial designers out there, this idea is much clearer because they try to build this feeling every day and research just that. They create a product which you feel attached to. Relevant: Innovation Starts with Empathy - Frog Design

Think about the smartphone. Now think about just how many people have said, "I can't live without it!" Clearly, they can (and have in the past), but due to the impeccable design of the product, people have gained a sort of "real" connection with the device. For me, I'd like the outcome to truly make this person happier and live their life easier.