“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

- Confucius

Over the years, this simple axiom has inspired a glut of articles doling out advice on how to make money doing something you love. What’s less common, however, is advice on how to actually find that one thing you love.

Conventional wisdom dictates that we all have a life’s passion but what if you haven’t yet found yours? Here, we tackle five myths about the so-called calling.

1. Everyone has a true calling

Oprah Winfrey wound up her monolith of a show with the following words: “We’re all called… The real work of your life is to figure out your function – your part in the whole – as soon as possible, and then get about the business of fulfilling it as only you can.”

These are easy words to say for someone who had the exact right mix of talent, grit and luck to become a billionaire entertainer, but what about the rest of us? Is it really true that every one of us – all 7 billion of us – has something we are truly meant to be doing?

Unfortunately, there is no anthropological study that can provide a definitive answer but the statistics speak for themselves: the vast majority of us will never be truly great at any one thing. We might sort-of enjoy some things and be kind-of good at others but most of us will never feel a single-minded, unrelenting need to be great at any one thing. We’ll never experience a pure calling – and that’s okay.

2. You’ll know when you find it

How much do you have to love something before you can call it your calling? Do you have to love it so much that there’s nothing else you would rather be doing? This seems like an extremely high upper bound. After all, most of us would always prefer to be lazing on a beach or eating ice cream in Rome than doing something productive, even if it is our life’s passion.

Perhaps we can set the bar lower and ask: do you enjoy your potential calling more than any unproductive pleasure, such as watching mindless TV or surfing the net? Your true calling could fall anywhere between these bounds so it won’t always be obvious when you find it. If you set your sights too low, you’ll stop too early and choose money, prestige or family pressure instead. Set your sights too high and you’ll never stop searching. Your calling is unlikely to hit you across the face with a forceful blow, so don’t rely on ‘just knowing’ when you find it. Be mindful of your actions and choices.

3. You should do it every day

People across a number of disciples – music, art, literature – are made to feel inferior if they don’t practise every day. If you want to perform in the Philharmonic Orchestra, then sure you have to play every day but most of us don’t need to practise so frequently. If you love to write but can only find time on the weekends, that’s absolutely fine. If you’re a budding photographer but haven’t gone out for weeks, that’s okay. Contrary to what Oprah says, a life’s passion isn’t always as natural as breathing. Sometimes, it’s hard. Sometimes, it’s a drag. Sometimes, you’d rather check Facebook for the 30th time than type another word of your languishing novel. Don’t beat yourself up about it.

4. If you love it enough, it can make you a living

There’s a common belief that if you are really talented and really dedicated, then you’ll be able to make a living out of your passion. Unfortunately, this ignores a plethora of other factors that determine who gets a job they love and who does not: luck, looks, contacts, networking skill, tact, diplomacy, sycophancy, the wealth of parents and the success of friends being just some of them. The truth is, even if you are talented and hardworking, it’s not enough especially if your passion happens to be in a competitive field like acting or singing or writing. Sometimes, your passion project has to remain just that: a project.

5. Life without a calling is dull or diluted

It is true that passion can add colour and vibrancy to one’s life but that’s not to say that the opposite is true. A life without a calling need not be dull or diluted. It’s okay to like lots of things a little bit instead of one thing thoroughly and deeply. Your life doesn’t have to be any less exciting or valid, but you do need to make an effort. Remember, people with a calling don’t tend to sit in front of the TV for hours on end, or mindlessly surf the internet; they’re too busy working on their passion. If you don’t have one, then it’s important to a) always try new things and b) make more time for the things you enjoy. You might not have a driving ambition propelling you forward but that doesn’t mean you should give in to dead time. Try new things and make more time for the things you enjoy.