I am a sucker for finding meaning within words and making them into metaphors that compare to life. This seven-letter word acts as the ignition to start a car and propels the vehicle to a destination. Without this source of energy, I found that it is almost impossible to get my car going without having to push it myself.

Throughout my life, I have always searched for experiences and opportunities that will push my car going, yet I got so lost in finding this push I failed to recognize the importance of finding it within myself to drive my own car with ease. For me, happiness and passion go hand in hand for many reasons. I found it so hard to make it to my biology 101 class and always ended up rushing to my lab research work. I did enjoy that work but something inside of me felt like I was dragging myself to attain a goal that wasn’t stemmed from my passion but rather was pushed by outside voices.

All stories have a climax or a turning point that determine the rest of the actions that occur leading to the conclusion. I am only 18 years old, but I do believe that I experienced my own turning point in a small town in south Hondurus that gave me a perspective on this underrated word–passion.

I passed hundreds of kids, mothers, fathers, and even animals finding contentment within their homes built with sticks and saw something that woke them up every morning. Whether that was to dig trenches for the community, to make food for their families or help with household chores, these people utilized passion to commit to something and found happiness within their work. They were not striving to compare their lives to more developed areas but instead found their own meaning of life with happiness in their journey. So why was I constantly trying to achieve something that didn’t ignite my soul and bring me happiness? Who was I to compare my life to someone else’s and constantly look for validation in other people and the best opportunities? This was when I realized that I am my own source of validation, happiness and ignition.

At the end of the day, I have the option to utilize passion as my fuel source to wake me up every morning and provide me with the contentment I deserve. This fuel can be found within service, faith, reading, writing, friends, and many more notions. Finding something that gives a purpose for your feet to touch the ground is worth finding. It is the little things in life that are responsible for helping us drive our car with ease. The drag is not worth it.