The path leading to your desires is not always clear. How do we even find our passion? Even if the passion is identified, the road may be full of twists, turns, and obstacles. How do we keep going? How do we persevere?
The phrase “follow your passion” is like the goal of “being happy.” It is an intangible that has no clear guideline for how to achieve it. It is the “how” that challenges most of us when we think about the intangibles of life. We want to love what we do. We want peace, joy, contentment, love, and success – and we want it now. But, becoming anything is a process. It takes adherence to techniques, to the development of skills, to retraining the mind. Some would say that our consciousness needs to change.
Because of life’s stresses, we may not remember what it feels like to have passion. Neverending obligations and responsibilities form the content of our days. We have an idea of what we would like to do, but take no steps toward implementing it. Is it because we have become fearful of trying new things? Is it because we can’t foresee instant results? That’s what a j-o-b brings. We are conditioned to get a paycheck every two weeks. When pursuing our passions, we might not see “success” for years, especially if “success” is defined as money, recognition, or status.
“Following your passion” is generally associated with making money. Numerous self-help books tell us that we should be able to make money by doing something about which we are passionate. This focus on compensation may blind us to what is inherently joyful. We will constantly think, “How will I make money from this?” instead of “I love doing this so much, I want to do it as often and as much as I can.”
To identify our passions, it may help to remember our childhoods. When I was in high school, I held almost every student government position. I volunteered in various areas of community service. It was a natural progression for me to choose to work in a congressional office as a college intern. This turned into a full time job that I totally loved. At no point prior to that employment did I think, “My perfect job would be to work in Congress” or “I am passionate about politics.”
I organically evolved into that position as a result of participating in activities that I totally enjoyed. My interests led me to endeavors that ultimately led to a paid position. My beloved first job exposed me to new passions, which encouraged me to venture into new and uncertain environments.
Somewhere, deep inside of you, is the child that you were, that you are still. That child never leaves you. Regain that self. I don’t care how long it takes. When you incorporate any type of passion into your life, you change your energy. You change your expectations of what is possible.
The times when we feel free and full of joy are important because they create within us energies of passion that want and seek more of the same. This is the fuel that will propel us towards our deepest desires.
When we experience consistent happiness, it creates an expectation of delight and exhilaration. Expectation creates attraction. Children expect to receive what they want, what they imagine. Because we have had painful experiences, adults often anticipate failure and rejection. We have to balance our traumas with happy times.
Get your child back!! Make yourself fearless. Every time you recall and act like your carefree and happy inner child, you release passions that are buried within you. When that passion is released and freed, you will be guided to the life that you want, that you deserve, and that is waiting for you to reclaim.
Don’t give up because you’re older or married or have children or have to work long hours or don’t have money or whatever. Keep dreaming. Keep knowing that, as long as you are breathing, there are opportunities to follow your passions. Each of us wants to be happy. We want to have joy. When we feed these desires, we expand more of these attributes in our lives. It’s like opening up a window that allows a flow of all that we want and need. Our windows are closed when we plod along stressed and in a rut and living day to day only doing what we feel we have to. We begin to exist with very little air, not realizing that we are on our way to being suffocated.
Inability to fully breathe becomes the new norm. Lack of oxygen prevents us from thinking of and believing in our potential. Expose yourself to the fresh air of new experiences. Take one small step outside of your comfort zone. This week, commit to doing one thing about which you are passionate. Even if it is not THE PASSION, do something that brings you joy. Just open the window.