Grit & Guts III: Find your Passion is part three of my four-part Grit & Guts: finding your best self series.
If you missed my Intro blog, you can read it HERE or Part I: Be the Happiest Person you Know can be found HERE and Part II: Live with no Regrets HERE
Passion......I had a dog named Passion once......true story. I named that dog during a monumental time in my life. I was recently divorced....three children......and early thirties. It was a time in my life that I was hoping to tap into what I "really wanted to do with my life"...so much so that I named my dog after my focus. I was really ready to find my passion!
However....that didn't happen. Out of necessity.....I earned a degree in nursing and worked as a Pediatric ICU nurse instead.
Did I love that job? Yes
Did I strive to be the best at that job? Yes
Was I proud of that job? Yes
Was I passionate about it? Sort of......yep.....only sort of.
I am a passionate person AND an overachiever so I tend to put my heart into anything I choose to do. And passion resides IN YOUR HEART.....so I was "sort of" passionate about it. But it was NOT my passion. It was NOT what I'd hoped to do with my life. It served me well. It paid the bills...supported my family....bought me my first home as a single woman.... built my confidence...and even allowed me to teach (which is a PORTION of my passion)......but it did NOT tap into my true passion reserve!
My true passion is multi-faceted and deep....and as I began to really tap into it, I have discovered so much more about what really drives my desires!
Life has allowed me the opportunity to realize my dreams....and from my experience, I've recognized patterns that I believe are key components to building my life around my passions.
How to Find YOUR Passion in THREE easy steps
I want to share these steps with you today....in hopes that you will take the time to identify what really makes you happy and commit to building your own life and success around just that!
Step #1: Find joy in all that you do
Yes...its possible.
It may not come easy but it is possible.
Even when you are stuck doing things that you don't love but simply cannot avoid.....seek something positive from it and focus on that! (ex: paying bills and there isn't enough money to cover them all......give thanks for the bills that you can pay and DO NOT complain about the ones you can't).
Stop complaining!!! This is a sure way to block your passion! Just stop it now! Begin practicing that joyful muscle in both your thoughts and your words.
And finally.....if you are doing things you DON'T love.....if at all possible....STOP doing them! Just stop!
If this means quitting or hiring someone else to do the "non-love" thing.....do so. Doing something daily that you don't LOVE is a complete and total passion buzz kill. By finding joy in all that you do, you blow your soul wide open for the passion that is within you to come bubbling to the surface.
Your passion THRIVES in joy.....so feed it!
Step #2: Identify what you do/talk/dream about in your free time
I realize that in today's fast-paced world...many of us have little if any downtime. This is just another good reason we should identify our passion and use it to fuel a career....so our PASSION can be our JOB....and then work never feels like work!
Are their topics you find yourself talking about with others? Topics that you feel really comfortable talking about....that get you talking a mile-a-minute with enthusiasm and excitement. Or maybe there are things you dream about doing when you lay down at night or you fantasize about as you watch a movie or read a book.
Are there activities that you tend to do naturally without even having to think about it? Maybe there is something that others come to you for regularly....advice or assistance with something because you seem to be better at it than others.
Pay attention to all of these things! Have you ever said to yourself "if I had a nickel for every time someone asked me to do that for them"....then maybe they see something in you that you really could charge a "nickel" for!!!
Identify these things and don't overthink them. Instead....do more of them!!!
Step #3: Do more of it
Once you've identified your passion (which is often a strength as well) do more of it WITH INTENTION!
Practice this new purposeful act consistently.
The more you do the things that make you happy.....the more you leave yourself open to opportunity! Your joy will attract others and opportunities are more likely to present themselves. Your love for what you are doing will give you the energy that will be required to build that passion-filled and successful life that you desire!
Will it be easy? Probably not.....but you will now enjoy the process....doing what you love!
So what did I learn about finding MY passion?
My first passion discovery is to create with my hands (#1).
From this, I discovered I love to teach and encourage others (#2).
I love it so much that I lost sight of my own needs.....to the point of becoming very ill (#boundaries....another topic another day)
And from my illness....I learned self-care......which become a new passion (#3).
And again....I chose to teach and encourage (#2) my creative women friends (#1) to self-care (#3) through coaching (yep....#4).
By identifying what makes me happy and finding my natural strengths.....I consistently did more of them.....until they became ONE.......in the form of my profession.
It was not always FUN....and it certainly wasn't always easy. But I can say without a doubt that I have loved the process. It is my passion and belief in what I do every day that has given me the energy to stay the course.
I work from the heart.....and I think it shows.
I hope this inspires you to choose the path of joy in your days ahead!
See you at the top!
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