Sam Scinta has accomplished an abundance of things throughout his career. He is the CEO of the chamber of commerce, a civics professor, president of Fulcrum Publishing, lawyer, nonprofit founder and more. But how has he managed to balance all of these roles while staying grounded and fulfilled? Scinta captured three essentials to keep in mind while finding success: facing obstacles, passion, and purpose.
His first piece of advice is push through obstacles that seem impossible in the moment and use the challenge as if it is what fuels your fire. Scinta described how it felt to attend Yale after attending public school his entire life. He admitted he was not emotionally or intellectually prepared for the challenges that awaited him. He was stuck behind the idea that he was not good enough to attend college. At first, he managed his emotions by skipping class because he did not feel ready to face them. After struggling through his first year, he chose to use that fear and uncertainty to push through the obstacle of his mind and succeeded for the rest of his college journey. By learning from his mistakes and doubts he transformed them into motivation and growth.
Scinta describes passion as the most important thing one can use to their advantage. As a child, he wanted to be a marine biologist. He loved the ocean and the animals; however, he realized he was not passionate about the scientific side of that career. Through school, his teachers and mentors helped him gain insight into the world of critical thinking and he discovered his passion laid in the realm of civics and political science.
One of the most important lessons Scinta has learned through his many careers is to pause and ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” If you still care but feel burnt out, that is okay, you can work through that. But if you cannot find a reason for your work, it may be time to find something new. As Scinta explains, “It should be because you have the passion for doing that work, because it is not always easy work, and it is not always fulfilling work in the immediate sense, but if you have that underlying passion, it always will feed you, and it will keep you going despite some of those obstacles.”
So, what exactly is passion? Passion is defined as an intense desire or enthusiasm for something. Scinta tells students that if your answer for pursuing something like law school is money, well as a lawyer you may make money, you may not and if that is what is driving you, do not go to law school. That should not be your incentive for pursuing something. “We all have a talent right?” Scinta says, “At least one skill that we can be good stewards and contribute to the greater good, and that that maybe helps things get a little bit better.” When you discover what you truly care for, you can do far more for not only yourself but for others as well.
Ask yourself this: Have you ever committed to something just because someone else said it was a great opportunity? Did you give it the same effort you would have given something you are truly passionate about? Many of us, myself included, have gone through the motions of something that did not bring us joy, and the work reflects that versus something we are passionate about.
Now it can be intimidating to realize something you thought was fulfilling ended up being something you did not enjoy. Maybe it is the degree you are pursuing or the job you landed that feels like a hassle every day. But everyone only gets one life, you have the power to choose whether to live it with purpose or stay stuck in something that makes you unhappy. Scinta would not change any of his past experiences, even the ones that did not turn out how he hoped because they are all valuable learning opportunities and at the end of the day got him to where he is now.
All in all, think about what makes you passionate, do not look at your obstacles as impossible and learn from your experiences. Pursue what motivates you and makes a difference for your life.
