Finding your passion changes your life
When reading a list of student achievements at assembly last week, I was struck by the diversity of activities that many of the boys are involved in. In this term alone, boys have achieved at State, National or International level in debating, karate, water polo, javelin, triple jump, weight lifting, sailing, lacrosse, tennis, Westpac Rescue Helicopter service, New York Jazz symposium, World Scholar's Cup, volleyball, hockey and motor racing.
While the level of achievement is remarkable and deserving of high praise for the effort, discipline and skill demonstrated by each boy, equally impressive is the diversity of fields in which the boys have engaged.
Professor Ken Robinson, in his book The Element - How finding your passion changes everything, discusses the importance of finding what it is that you naturally do well and enjoy. We all have distinctive talents and passions but sometimes we do not discover them until later in life. With the wide range of opportunities available at Scotch many of the boys have already found their passion. For example, boys in the Pipe Band aspiring to perform at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo next year, may never have discovered their love of playing and marching in a Pipe Band had they not attended Scotch College.
While some boys may not discover their passion until well after school, others have found theirs by pursuing areas of personal interest that may be different to their friends, for example, Joshua Spadanuda (Year 8, Brisbane) in karate, Oliver Purton (Year 8, Ferguson) in lacrosse, James Naylor-Pratt (Year 10, Anderson) in weight lifting or Aidan Read (Year 10, St Andrews) in motor racing. It takes a degree of confidence and courage to seek opportunities and experiences that are not immediately available to you. It then takes commitment and discipline to see these opportunities turn into successful experiences.
The lessons offered to us from those who have pursued their passion are simple. Be prepared to try new things, don't worry if it is not what your friends are doing, it is your passion not theirs. Having identified your passion, commit to it. A person with motivation or interest who applies effort to their pursuit will enjoy considerable rewards, both intrinsic and extrinsic. In short, be a risk-taker, follow your interest, have a go, be prepared to try and fail, but be sure to persist. As Professor Ken Robinson writes, if you find your passion, you change your life.
Dr Rob McEwan
Head of Senior School
