As a former career advisor one of my job responsibilities was to counsel students and alumni on their job search.

As I spoke with both students and alumni it was apparent to me that they really didn’t know why they attended college. When I would ask them why the decided to attend school many of their answers started out like “because my parents wanted me to go to school” or “I want to secure a job.”

It was kind of ironic because once I dug deeper into what they really wanted to do with their life their responses surprised me. Over 95% of the students and alumni I spoke to wanted to start a business but didn’t know where to begin. Many attended college because the idea of starting the business was just overwhelming. They didn’t feel like they could succeed. They were already doomed from the start.

My conversation with the student would usually start out by asking the individual to tell me about themselves. We would then talk about some things they wanted to accomplish when they were younger and why they didn’t accomplish those goals. Finally, we would fast forward to today and really get into their goals, dreams and desires.

How do you find your passion? Your passion lies in the answers to the following questions: Think of the things you enjoy doing. What brings you joy and excitement? Do you wake up every morning exciting about doing what you are doing now? If what you are doing did not come with a paycheck, would you still do it? » Read more: Are You Living Your Big Dream Or Are You Just Living Life?