We are all born with a passion. Passion is a combination of interests, inspirations, virtuosity, and ingenuity. The level of fulfillment and positive energy is a direct correlated to the intensity of your passion.
You may be a wife, husband, mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son, cousin, etc., but that only a part of you? What makes you uniquely you?
What inspires you—what are your interests? Maybe, you have a hobby that you don’t think would sustain you financially (i.e., an invention on the back burner, decorating, gardening, cooking, or writing a book some day). You need to dig deeper to uncover what you already know about yourself.
Some children seem to have an uncanny ability to hone in to what their passion is and able to pursue it without any hesitation. What did you dream of becoming when you were a youngster? What has happened to that passion and dream now?
Here are some juicy tips to uncover your passion:
1) Look around you for inspiration (i.e., the books you read, the websites you visit, your collections, hobbies and anything else that comes to mind).
I have always had a passion for any kind of self-help book I could get my hands on. In retrospect, my passion has always been there right in front of me—the way I interacted with people and the level of joy I have when I have helped someone with a problem or offered a listening ear.
You just might have more than one passion and if you do, you are definitely closer to unleashing your hidden talent. Don’t ever give up; keep digging until you have narrowed it down.
2) Money may be a deterrent to finding your true passion. A lot of people are in jobs they detest, causing undue stress on them and their families. Some studies indicate that 65% of the people interviewed did not like their job, supervisor, co-workers or the bureaucracy they encountered. If you can identify with this, you are probably feeling burned out, lethargic, and feel that there must be more to life. It is! And, you are the one who gets to decide what that is for you! Don’t look to others and external sources for energy joy and fulfillment. It comes from within. If money was not a concern, what would you be doing that would bring you the most joy and fulfillment?
3) List five things that inspire you
Only you know what inspires you. Give this some serious thought but don’t dwell on it – you may have to revisit it later. Take notice of the things surrounding you. What possessions, hobbies, or interests are you drawn to?
4) List five things that you’re good at. What things have you been told you are good at? What do you think you are good at? List them all. Making lists offers clarity and purpose.
5) Revisit a time when you were excited about your life, or a time when you were filled with enthusiasm, energy and joy. That was the time you passion was present! You can now have that same kind of passion back in your life. Certainly, you may not be able to recreate the exact feelings or situations that inspired you in the past but you can regain the same invigorating energy and joy.
6) Do what you love. Being stuck in unfulfilling relationships, jobs, or situations that you are not passionate about leads you down the road of regret, frustration and unhappiness.
7) Be open to possibilities -
*think outside of the box. Expand your comfort level.
*take a small risk daily
*be open to experiencing something different
*trust your intuition; it helps build risk muscles
We often are so mired in our limiting beliefs about our gifts and dreams that it is difficult to look at the possibilities that exist or trust ourselves to make the “right” decision. The right decision is whatever is right for YOU. It may also be helpful if you enlist your friends, colleagues and family to assist you in expanding your thinking. Or you can talk to a coach or career counselor.