Chasing excitements ?

Do you know what will make you happy for the next ten years? How ’bout five? four? three?!

If you’re anything like me, then you’ll truthfully answer no (if you’re not, then you’ll lie and say yes). None of us can predict what will make us happy in the years ahead of us. How could we?! We live in a constantly changing world where we experience new and fascinating things every single day. No matter how hard we try to foresee the future, at the end of the day we’re all ‘just human’.

As a kid did I know I would come to love blogging and all these cool gadgets, especially since I barely had access to one (born in poverty)? No. Did I know that I had this entrepreneurial drive in me where I would come to love business, marketing, and connecting with people? No. Did I know that I would also come to love photography, graphic design, writing, and anything/everything related to art? No. Did I know that personal events in my life would make me seek out and eventually love self improvement, philosophy, and psychology? No. Just few years back, did I know that I would start my own blog (and write on it as often as i get)? sure no!

Well then, what do I know? First of all, I know that I like to ramble on about what I don’t know (self-obsessed?). But, most importantly, I know that I will never, ever know what’s going to make me happy in the future. I know that I can find myself being happy in situations I never thought would make me happy (happy being single and not rich), and sad in situations where I thought I would finally find happiness (finally fitting into real estate job).

I know that my happiness will never be derived from one thing in my life.

So… how am I supposed to know what one “career” I want down the road? Pick what makes me happy right? I just proved that I don’t know what going to make me happy tomorrow, let alone for the next 40 years of my life. How do you possible expect me to properly respond back to you with anything other than pure gibberish when you tell me “Pick a career which fits everything that makes you happy in it and pursue it”. Uhmm… “Hi, my name is Sydney Wan and I’m an actress-talent-model-voice over talent-real estate negotiator-child singer-community helping-psychology interested-philosophy reading-photography & music loving-entrepreneurially-holistic beauty enthusiastic-random blogger” Quiet a mouth full right? (LOL)

Well, I think I’ve finally found an answer that’s short and sweet.

“Hi, my name is Sydney Wan and I do whatever excites me.”

You get the idea. As Mavis Leyrer said:

“The object of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, Holy sh*t, what a ride!!!

I’m going to make sure that whatever I do, I end every single day worn out and worthwhile.

I’ve already figured out I don’t know what makes me happy, but I do know what makes me excited. How? Well, am I constantly thinking about it? Am I sweating for no apparent reason? Am I biting my nails uncontrollably? Am I moving around so much that I can’t sit still? If the answer’s yes, then I’ll know I’m excited about it. I’ll know it’s what I have to do that day.

What makes you excited? What makes your heart beat uncontrollably fast and raises your body temperature up a notch? Found it? Do it. Forget answering that age old question of “What makes you happy”; you don’t honestly know. Just take it one step at a time, figure out what’s going to excite you today, and do everything in your power to accomplish it. If it still excites you tomorrow, even better, you have another day to be as excited as you were yesterday (if not more).

Now, what if you find yourself doing something that doesn’t excite you? The excitement of being an entrepreneur unfortunately involves the boredom of being an accountant. What I do is ask myself whether the excitement out-weights the boredom. Being an accountant for one week is reasonable if you’re an entrepreneur for a year. Being a salesperson for one day is reasonable if you’re an artist for six days of the week. As long as your excitement out-weighs all else, you’re good. Remember, end each day totally worn out (if you’re not worn out you didn’t give it your all), shouting, Holy sh*t, what a ride!!!

Hi, My Name Is Sydney Wan, What Do You Do?