Some people simply know what their purpose in life is almost from the moment they have a conscience. I'm sure you have encountered someone who works as a teacher, doctor, landscaper, musician, stay-at-home-mom who simply loves what they do with such passion they cannot wait for the next day to start so they can do what they love to do one more time.
For those lucky ones who know what their passion in life is and can make a living doing so, half the path has already been walked. You wonder if you will ever have such passion for the work that you do or will do. Figuring out what to do is undoubtedly one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. For those of you who cannot consider themselves so lucky as to know what the heck to do with your life, let's work on that first.
Many of you, just like me, have many interests, talents and passions. You may really like a lot of stuff and may be even better at a few others. On the other hand, you may say that you have no clue whatsoever what your passion is. In either case, I suggest making a list of things you like to do. Seeing things listed on a piece of paper gives them an objectivity that can't be as easily accomplished when they are mingled together with a thousand other thoughts in your mind. Try to follow some of the ideas described below:
1. Listen to your feelings and intuition. There is most likely a little nag somewhere in the right side of your brain (the side that controls your emotions) reminding you of that which you love the most. Listen in silence and with patience and let that voice guide you.
2. Write down everything that you like to do, no matter how silly it sounds. If you like cutting flowers or listening to music, put it down. Then try to arrange them in order of preference, starting with your favorite thing.
3. After your list is done, use your imagination to come up with ways that you can make a living doing what makes you happy, passionate, and peaceful. If you like cutting flowers and arranging them into vases for yourself and your loved ones, perhaps you can think about becoming a decorator, a landscaper, or a florist.
4. Find out what skills or talents you have that best help you learn the crafts necessary to practice your passion. Use school and community career centers (most services are free) to find out how to create resumes, find internships, attend workshops, and find support from people who have similar interests.
5. Practice, practice, practice. If your goal is to become a singer, you must take singing lessons and perform on a regular basis anywhere you can to perfect your craft and allow others to form an opinion about your abilities. The same applies if you want to become an accountant. Find an internship in an accounting firm that is doing the kind of work that interests you. This exposure gives you experience, sharpens your skills, and helps you get noticed by decision-makers.
6. Determine what it will take to reach that professional goal. Research and study the possibilities. Education is the key to it all. If you'd like to become an actor, find the best acting schools in your city, get books on acting, learn what it takes to go to auditions and get acting jobs. The same will apply to every type of work you would ever want to do.
7. Determine what type of environment and lifestyle you would like to enjoy. Choose a lifestyle that best suits your personality and other interests in your life. Work slowly but steadily, in stages to reach the standard of living that you choose for yourself.
8. Write down your professional goals. Write as many as your imagination can create. Dream big. Life is full of blessings if you have the courage to seize them. Be one of those who take advantage of all the wonders in this earth. Have 1-year goals, 5-year goals, and 10-year goals. The sky is not the limit, the universe is, and the universe is infinite.
The best case scenario would be to find work you love that supports you financially. There is no better time to take some risks, create your own career, or devote most of your time to your passion than now.
Finding Passion In Life
Life holds us by the horns and tell us that our lives need to be run a certain way. The stresses of every day life are the ones that we give the most attention to leaving our aspirations and dreams to fall by the way side. It is our responsibilities, expectations and perceived obligations that are the reason we move in and out of our created world every day. But, there was once passion in our lives and that passion can still be reborn in our newer, more adult lifestyles.
There are several self-help articles about how to make one happier and more fulfilled. But it all starts with realizing your true passion. What motivates you? What makes you smile? Or even, when you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
In order to find happiness, we all need to look deep into ourselves and find the things that make us who we really are. Those things that make us smile and whistle when no one else seems to be feeling our happiness. These are the things that need to be the center of our worlds, these are the passions that need to fuel our lives.
The dutiful son or daughter who gives up dreams of acting to attend college and get a "real job" will eventually conform to those expectations. But will he or she be happy sitting behind a desk day in and day out? The doting mother who gives up finishing her Master's degree to take care of the kids will love her children with all her heart and provide them with all their needs and wants. But will she really find solace in mommy and me groups and story time at the local library? The caring husband who sets aside his hobby of collecting model trains because it is viewed as childish will eventually forget the dust covered trains in the attic. But will his passion for tinkering with the shiny trains be placated by repairing the broken dishwasher and changing the oil in his wife's car? We often agree to what is expected of us and drown out the voice inside our head and hearts. But the truth is you don't have to be irresponsible or unreasonable to fulfill your passion.
What are you passionate about? That may be the hardest question to answer on your path to happiness. Your passion was once something that drove you every day and once time and reality took over, that passion became dormant and unneeded. Now, finding that passion again will take time, diligence and an attention to ourselves that we are not accustomed to taking.
Once you discover your passion, pursue it! For some, it may be scary to step outside of the norm and onto a path less traveled. But personal growth only happens when we extend ourselves beyond our usual boundaries. You don't have to neglect your responsibilities to pursue your passion. It may simply be to take an art class at a local community center or you may find that you wish to switch careers and become a graphic designer. Determine what you are passionate about and then find ways to embrace it.
No amount of money or praise at work can compare to the feeling you will get from reintroducing that long lost passion back into your life. There is a euphoria that surrounds a passion, a healing nature that makes all the wrongs of the world disappear and the work entailed in making that passion a part of your aging life, is key to living a fulfilled life.
Do not let another moment pass you by before you take the time to think, what am I passionate about? What unfulfilled dreams do I still have and how can I achieve them? Take this moment to sit back and remember what makes you smile. When you take away all the expectations and obligations, who are you? Find your true self and be your true self. Pursue your passion with passion.
Both Jovanka Ciares & Elliott Roberts are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
