When you hear the words “critical thinking”, the first thought that probably crossed your mind is that this person is a natural skeptic; that is, he always finds fault in everything he sees. This could not have been any farther from the truth even if it tried. Critical thinking is more than just being a healthy skeptic (and remember, skepticism is very different from pessimism), you can also use this to find out what your strengths and true passions are, so you can steer your life and your career towards a direction that will truly make you happy.
Are you a high school senior who still has no idea what to take up in college? Are you unsure if college even is the right fit for you? Are you stuck in a dead end job that you do not really enjoy doing, but you still do because you feel as if you do not have any choices left? If you answered “yes” to any one of these questions, the only way you can get out of your slump is by finding your strengths and passions, and then following them towards your happiness and fulfillment; and critical thinking can help you find your particular set of skills and talents.
Critical thinking means you base your decision on logic and reason, you do not let your emotions dictate your actions. You do not easily accept the arguments and conclusions given by other people, but rather you have a healthy attitude of questioning them and finding out for yourself if they actually have any merits. This kind of thinking is important most especially when you are searching for your strengths and your actual passion.
Here are some ways you can apply critical thinking on your journey of self-discovery:
Make a list of the talents that you know you have
What are the things that you are good at, the things that somehow come to you naturally. This does not include the things that you have somewhat of a talent for, but you do not necessarily enjoy doing. List down all of the things that you know you have aptitude for and you genuinely enjoy. Also, consider the things that other people complimented you for; sometimes the perspective of others can help you find your innate talents because you tend to doubt yourself often.
For instance, you might be good at photography, but since you think that you are no good at it, you would rarely pick up your camera. Here is a good way to find out if you are any good at it; post your original photos on online forums, like Tumblr, Pinterest, Reddit, and ask for any constructive criticisms from the members. Oftentimes, you will get great advice on how to hone your craft more, but you will surely also get a couple of praises. If you are really great at photography, trust me, other people will let you know about it.
Finding the things that you love and you are genuinely good at is a great way to unearth your potential passions. At this time, you need to ignore self-deprecating thoughts, also do not dread the fact that what you might discover as your talent will turn out to be impractical or uncommon; you cal always find a niche for your talent.
Pay attention to the things that make you annoyed or jealous
Are there things that other people do that somehow gets to your nerves? Set aside your emotions for a moment, and examine the real reason why you are annoyed. For instance, are you annoyed that your cousin is so carefree while you have to bust your ass working? Is the reason why you are “annoyed” at your cousin’s behavior is the fact that he/she does not have nearly as many things stressing him/her out as you do?
Here’s a quick story about following one’s passion that you might find insightful. After spending most of his life doing whatever others are expecting of her, she dropped out of med school, moved to San Francisco, and found her passion for designing custom jewelry. Most of her family thought she lost her mind, and her father was the one that was the angriest of all. It got so bad that her father threatened to drag her out of her studio and back into their home town so she could “get a hold of herself” and continue with med school. However, the opposite thing happened; when her father saw how relaxed and fulfilled she looked while pursuing her passion, something inside him changed.
Her father found out that the reason why he was so annoyed with what his daughter did was because he was frustrated that his daughter pursued her passion and still make a good living out of it, while he toiled in a job that he clearly does not enjoy. When he finally saw the reason why he was annoyed and frustrated, he decided to follow his own passion as well; he and the wife left their suburban home, moved to scenic Hawaii, and started working on his novel.
Take note of the things that you hate to stop doing
When you are at work, do you often find yourself constantly looking at the clock on the wall? Do you count the hours and the minutes before you can go home? That is a clear sign that you are not enjoying what you are doing at your job, it shows that you are not passionate. Not only are you doing yourself a disservice for not allowing yourself to do what you want, you are also doing a disservice to your current employer by not giving your best performance on your tasks.
For instance, do you like working on your car? For you, detailing the interior and exterior of your vehicle is like a therapeutic experience, and that you often find yourself spending hours just making your car look as if it just rolled out of the dealership. This means you might find it more fulfilling to open up your own small car detailing service.
There is a saying that goes “Choose a job that you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. There are some truths to this saying, most especially the fact that you will be enjoying yourself while you work, but saying that everyday will be enjoyable is not realistic at all. When you apply critical thinking to this situation, you will learn that there will always be times when you will be faced with huge problems, which is why you still need to be always on your toes even when you are enjoying your work. No amount of enthusiasm will help you get out of a rut, especially if you fell in it because you were unprepared.
On the other hand, if you do find a line of work that you are passionate about, you know you are good at it, and you are disciplined enough to always be ready for every unexpected shortcomings, then you are on the right track.
By simple applying the concepts of critical thinking to examine your current situation, you will easily find your true calling in life.
