Passion
Living life every day without interacting in an area that is not part of your true passion can be very monotonous. Isn’t enjoying those things you truly love, partially, what living is all about?
I have always loved being by or on the water, after all I grew up in Minnesota, the “land of 10,000 lakes”, but for various reasons I never did. So, after my divorce, I had a work opportunity on Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina. My passion for being by the water, walking on the beaches, watching the sunrise and set and feeling the wind on my face, rose to an all-time high. Within seven months, I took more than 2000 photos of what I saw there, and I still could not get enough beach time. That kind of passion might live in each of us. For me, I did not realize it was a passion, or something I simply liked, until I experienced it fully and over a long period of time. Taking so many pictures, hurrying to get through work and get back to the beach to once again experience the peace and beauty I felt there was evidence enough for me that it was one of my passions.
Your passions, of which there may be several, may not fully manifest in your life until you have an experience that heightens them to a level where you feel them for the true passions that they are. Until then, you may just see them as preferences or things that you may like to do, given the chance. You can learn to distinguish a passion from a passing interest by asking yourself whether it is something you can take or leave depending on the situation or whether it would really matter to you if it were not in your life.
When you spend time in your passions, your thinking is much clearer, and your mood and overall attitude is so positive that the other things you do in your day are also much more enjoyable, even if they are not passions of yours. Just spending some quality time in your passions may be all it takes to turn all of the parts of your life in new positive directions. Figuring out what your passions in life are should be one of your goals in your life plan. Spending time in your passions will affect your life in powerful ways and will certainly make your days more enjoyable.
When you think about where your true passions lie, think about what you want your life story to be. By thinking this way, you will likely be able to identify your passions. Are you a world traveler, a writer, a photographer, a business person, a social worker, a minister, a teacher, a mother, father, wife or husband? Do you love to help others, help animals, or help the environment? Are you an explorer? Do you like to fish, hunt or pick up seashells on the beach? Do you love fashion, being in top physical shape, or working on cars? Your life story is yours to tell all the world. It is up to you to live up to your full potential and do what you were made to do — and if you are passionate about what you do, you never know how far you really can go in life. Follow your passions!
Find your passions by:
- Finding out who you want to be in your life story
- Owning your uniqueness, include that in your life plan and be the person in your life story
- Understanding that waiting for a better time or for more money to enjoy your passions are just excuses; you will be happier if you enjoy your passions, you simply need to figure out how best to make that happen
- Thinking about what you really love to do and then go do it
Some Books You Might Want to Read on Passion:
- The Minimalist Mindset: The Practical Path to Making Your Passions A Priority and to Retaking Your Freedom by Danny Dover
- GUTS: Find Your Greatness, Beat the Odds, Live From Passion by Sam Bracken
- The Passion Test: The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose by Janet and Chris Attwood
- Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance by Angela Duckworth