Lesson 1: Finding my passion

No matter how many YouTube videos you watch or how many podcasts you listen to, they all say find your passion. 

But what does it mean to find your passion? 

For me, being a teenager often felt like my mind was a student's browser filled with tabs during a research paper: a hundred things open at once, some unrelated, some half-read, and others I've forgotten why I even clicked on in the first place.

I learned that passion doesn't always come like a lightbulb moment. Sometimes, it's more of a gradual glow. When you're a teenager, with schoolwork, hobbies, and life pulling you in every direction, it can be easy to mistake any and every interest for passion. 

For me, it took time to realize which activities made the chaos in my mind calm down, and which ones lit a fire in me that didn't waver.

One of the biggest things I learned is that passion isn't a fixed point. It evolves as you grow and change.

 At 11, I thought my passion was reading . But as I approached 15, I found myself drawn towards robotics and tech. At 17, I’ve realized that leading STEM related clubs, doing videography was what interested me. 

I found that my true interests were revealed in the little moments. It was during long nights working on robotics projects, the satisfaction of solving a tough coding problem, or the thrill of putting together a video that felt personal and powerful. Those moments reminded me that passion is found not only in what you do but in the excitement you feel doing it.

If there’s one overarching lesson I’ve taken from 17 years of existing,  it’s that finding your passion is less about a single moment of revelation and more about embracing the journey. It's in allowing yourself to try, fail, pivot, and rediscover what brings you joy. Passions are born out of curiosity and refined by persistence. They aren’t static; they shift as you experience life and grow into yourself.

So, if your browser feels cluttered with countless open tabs, don’t rush to close them. Take your time, explore each one, and discover which sparks hold steady even in the chaos. Because at the end of the day, passion is about what makes you come alive, what drives you even when it's tough, and what you'd pursue even when no one is watching.