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Talent? Passion? Something Else? What Really Matters When You Get Older.

It’s a strange thing when you realize you are trapped in a routine and it’s time to live your best life

Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
4 min readMar 14, 2025
Photo courtesy of author

The thing about life is, that you don’t always see the groove you’re in until one day, you do.

Maybe it happens when you’re stuck in traffic, watching the same buildings you pass every day. Maybe it hits when you realize you’ve been having the same conversations for years. Or maybe, it creeps up on you while you’re sipping your morning coffee, staring at the calendar, wondering how the hell time moves so fast. Or, maybe it’s triggered by a life-changing event.

For me, it was a combination of all of the above.

But, today is the day — no more excuses. I’m making a move. I’m going to do something different. Something I should have done a long time ago.

I know what you’re thinking. “Not another passion versus talent speech.” “Not another midlife crisis story.”

Fair enough. I guess I must explain how I got here and why I want to write about it.

The Beginning

When I was younger, I was filled with passion.

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Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Written by Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Where Gen X memories meet today’s struggles.

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