Passion is believing that you are one-of-a-kind and were born for a reason. Passion is taking steps everyday to move towards your life purpose. Passion is believing that every negative experience is part of the journey of the evolution of your soul. Passion is contagious. Others will be drawn to you like bees to honey. Conversely, lack of passion will drive others away. You’ll end up lonely and die with regrets. Find your passions and pursue them to live a good life.
1. Know yourself and then you can find your passion.
What do you like to do? What lights you up? What do you love to talk about every chance you get? If you weren’t afraid and if you didn’t care what others will thought of you, what would you be doing that you are not doing right now? “I’d quit my job and start my own business.” If you are afraid quitting will put you in financial distress, what baby steps can you take to move one step towards a more passionate life? “I can research and read books about entrepreneurship so that I can prepare myself to quit my job.” Enthusiasm for your next step is contagious and attractive. Others can help make your dreams a reality. When you mentally challenge yourself and go beyond the edges of your comfort zone, it can produce a state of flow that is bliss. Just take the next step.
2. Figure out why you were born.
“The two most important days of your life are #1: the day you were born and #2: the day you discovered why you were born.” –Les Brown, motivational speaker. “Your Dream Is Possible” It is your duty to figure out why you were born through making “lemonade” out of the “lemons” of your negative experiences. Combine this lemonade with your passions and you’ll find the lightening rod that will jolt you out of bed in the morning.
3. Don’t take your passions and talents for granted.
What comes easily to you does not come easily to others. I became a Success and Happiness Catalyst through connecting the dots of my life looking backwards. My negative experiences, pharmaceutical career, my passions in nutrition, self-image psychology, and Law of Attraction created my life’s calling to help others go from good to great and achieve success and happiness. Jason, my 21-year-old son, took his electronic music composing and producing talents for granted until he realized he was one of the most talented musicians at Tufts University. The Universe gave him these talents so he can make a difference through music. How are you using the talents you were given to entertain or help others?
4. Do it for yourself and not for the purpose of seeking approval from others.
Seeking approval through “fake” passions or goals is a recipe for misery. Your “high” will be short-lived. The Paradox of Intention says: “You must have goals, but your happiness cannot be tied to those goals. You must be happy first before you reach your goals.” You might find it hard to be happy first because of old emotional scars. The younger parts of you that hold shame, humiliation, and rejection make you seek validation and approval from others so they can feel they are lovable, worthy, and enough. You need to heal the old wounds so you can feel better about yourself. When you are happy with who you are, you won’t need to do things for the purpose of seeking approval from others. If you need to overcome sadness so you can live a life of passion, read this post to “Overcome Sadness: 19 Simple Things You Didn’t Realize You Can Do.” Are you guilty of seeking approval from others? What are the emotional scars underneath your need for approval?
5. Meet others with a shared passion.
It’s important so you feel connected because love and belonging are hard-wired human needs. You can find like-minded people through the internet, forums, Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Meet-up groups, etc. If you don’t find a group that shares your passions, create your own.
6. Understand that failing is learning.
Thomas Jefferson failed at least 1,000 times (some say 10,000 times) before the light bulb was invented. Rejection is a part of life. When you pick yourself up after you’ve failed, you will gain more confidence to try again and you’ll be an inspiration to others. People who are successful knows the fastest route to success is through many failures. If you are afraid of failing, you have to address the emotional scars that has you frozen in some 6th grade memory when your teacher, father, or mother said you would never amount to anything. See point #4 above on how to overcome this fear of failure.
7. Use your passion to change the world.
Steve Jobs “People With Passion Can Change The World.” Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. Dr. Mehmet Oz made talking about poop normal everyday language. Lisa Nichols, a very inspiring, energetic, and charismatic personality. Watch her “Questions That Will Stir Your Soul” video. David Wood of The KissAss Life. David has the #1 personal development podcast on iTunes. Downloaded by listeners from 200 countries, he has a beautiful “rags to riches” story and has turned his lemons into his lemonade helping others to live a KissAss Life. These gurus can inspire you to be a guru in your own community. How would you like to make a difference before you go to heaven?
8. Take classes, read books, and volunteer if you don’t know what you are passionate about.
One of these activities can help you find your your passion.
9. Write about your passions through blogging.
There will be a readership for your point of view. You’ll be the leader and attract a following. Your life will be more exciting when you meet new people through blogging.
10. Lead a workshop on your expertise.
If you read five books on a subject, you are an expert on the subject. There is so much information on the internet that people will pay you to show them how to solve their problems in a clear and simple way. For example, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” became a blockbuster because Steven Covey gathered concepts that were already known and packaged them in a way that was concise, simple, and actionable. So gather your friends and talk from the heart about what you’ve learned and show them how they can improve their lives. No need for a formal PowerPoint presentation. If you find you enjoy doing workshops, then explore how you can take this further and make it your life purpose.
11. A life of passion will help you look and feel younger.
Passion and purpose slow down aging. Passion creates happy thoughts. Happy thoughts create great moods. A happy and healthy mind will minimize the expression of your disease genes. Studies have shown that 2/3 of the world’s health problems can be traced to negative thoughts and beliefs. Negativity will not give you the energy to pursue your passions. Negativity is a fuel for your body to turn on disease genes. Positivity and passion will turn on your health-promoting genes and slow down the aging process.
