Be honest…how often have you heard this advice:
“Follow your passion.”
“Do what you love.”
“If you love your work, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
It sounds encouraging.
It feels empowering.
But it often creates more confusion than clarity.
The Problem With This Advice
This advice assumes students already know what truly fits them.
Most don’t.
Not because they’re unmotivated, but because they haven’t had enough exposure to understand what’s possible.
In short, they don’t know what they don’t know.
Passion Is a Moving Target
A passion today can be a fleeting obsession tomorrow.
Students don’t lack enthusiasm.
They lack life experience.
What feels like a “calling” right now may simply be the most recent thing they’ve been exposed to.
A Simple Analogy That Makes This Clear
Imagine a world with only three ice cream flavors.
Vanilla.
Chocolate.
Strawberry.
If someone asked your favorite, you’d choose one.
Not because it’s truly your favorite but because it’s all you’ve ever known.
Rocky road doesn’t exist.
Cookie dough isn’t an option.
Butter pecan has never crossed your mind.
This is how many students choose majors and careers.
What These Decisions Often Sound Like Years Later
I hear versions of these reflections all the time:
“I liked drawing, so I studied art.”
“I was fascinated by the brain, so I chose psychology.”
“A TV show made law enforcement look exciting.”
“I loved sports, so I went into sports management.”
“I wanted to be a fashion influencer, so I studied fashion design.”
There’s nothing inherently wrong with these fields.
The issue is the simplicity of the decision-making behind them.
What Students Should Do Instead
What looks like passion is often just limited exposure.
And what students actually need first isn’t passion.
It’s clarity.
Clarity about:
What they’re naturally good at
How those abilities show up in real work
Which paths fit how they’re wired, not just what excites them today
Passion tends to grow after competence and direction…not before.
A Few Grounding Truths for You to Consider
Interests change more often than abilities
Passion without clarity often creates pressure
Direction calms anxiety better than excitement
Students don’t need fewer options…they need better filters
Loving something doesn’t necessarily mean building a life around it
A Bit of Reassurance
Questioning “follow your passion” doesn’t mean discouraging your son or daughter.
It means protecting them from making permanent decisions based on temporary feelings.
You’re not taking anything away.
You’re widening the lens.
And that’s how students make decisions they’re far less likely to regret.