Forget Credentials—Your DNA and Passion Are the Keys to True Success

You wake up groggy and struggle to find excitement—even before your day really starts. By mid-morning, the world expects you to slide into a role that just doesn’t fit, like squeezing into shoes one size too small. You remember loving something different—maybe it was building model rockets, collecting bug species, or designing outrageous birthday cakes. But, over time, school and family obligations crowded out those instincts.

Every so often, though, you notice a spark: maybe you light up describing last night’s soccer strategy, or you get absorbed when explaining the science behind hair dye at a party. You realize you’re at your best—fully alive, witty, and energetic—when you drift into these spaces. The clock melts away. By contrast, the activities that leave you drained are often those you do from duty, or to satisfy expectations from teachers or friends.

One day, you admit to yourself that you’re boxing up your best skills to fit into what you think the world wants. This realisation stings, but it’s also a doorway. You look at the people you admire most—and spot a pattern: they double down on what makes them genuinely different, not what makes them blend in. This isn’t easy. There’s a vulnerability in showing your true “DNA” to the world, especially if it breaks the mold set by your background or environment.

Behavioral science backs you here: Self-Determination Theory shows that people are more motivated and resilient when their lives align with their intrinsic interests and values. Over time, this alignment breeds both fulfillment and external achievement.

Right now you have a chance to get honest about what powers you up and what leaves you empty. Take a few minutes to reread stories from your childhood—what games did you invent, what projects did you beg to work on? Next, track your highs and lows over the next week, noticing what genuinely excites you and what tasks make you glance at the clock wishing it would go faster. Finally, if you can, pick one area in your life where you’re 'faking it'—even a small one—and make a tiny shift toward what’s truly yours. Let yourself be surprised by what happens next.