Understanding Passion
“A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.” William Hazlitt
Do you wake up every day excited to get out of bed? Do you feel like you are living your own dreams? If not, it could be that you have yet to awake the passion in your life, the driving force that pushes you to reach for your dreams and do remarkable things.
Whether you are looking to explore new job possibilities or find fun things to keep your personal life interesting, awakening your passion is something that will leave you fulfilled and personally satisfied in life. This guide helps you figure out what passion really is, find what makes you passionate, and inject interest and passion into any aspect of your life you wish.
What exactly do we mean by passion? Essentially, passion is a powerful desire to accomplish something. It is often used to indicate conviction, determination, or even love. And while it is an emotion, unless it is acted upon, it has little effect on your life. Passion should be what motivates you to act.
Being passionate means that you love what you are doing, even when it is hard, when you are failing, or when you have not made much progress in a while. Finding what you love and using it to inspire your dreams can bring real meaning and purpose to your life.
Passion is not enough, though. In addition to wanting to achieve something, you must be willing to sacrifice what is necessary to succeed. If you have a passion for music but do not want to spend your life practicing to be a professional musician, then this passion will not yield many results for you.
Not every passion needs to become a job, either. Again, if you have a love for music but have never played an instrument in your life or learned to read music, you likewise may never turn this passion into a career, but it could be a fun and engaging hobby that inspires your free time. Some passions inspire your professional world while others may become the focus of your personal life. Both kinds are okay, and you need exciting things in both aspects of your life to enjoy and look forward to.
Whether you are young or old, it can be hard to figure out precisely what you are passionate about in life. Discovery your bliss is a journey, and one you may take many times throughout your life. If you do not feel really strongly about anything in your life right now, that means you may not have found it yet, so you need to keep trying new things. Once you find something that ignites the flame inside you, stick with it, and you will soon determine if this is your calling.
Most people have something that they genuinely love, but they never pursue this beyond a mild interest or a half-hearted attempt at realizing a dream. Society tells us it is more important to make money than it is to do what you love. And sometimes, following your passion requires giving up a safety net or a known quantity to pursue your calling. This can be scary for even the strongest of people. But, leaving your comfort zone is the only way to discover just how important passion is to your life.
When you discover your passion, it provides a solid foundation around which you can build the rest of your life. A genuine passion will motivate you, intrigue you, and challenge you. Sometimes, finding your passion is about rediscovering things that used to interest and motivate you earlier in your life. Often, our natural talents, which appear in childhood and adolescents, become the inspiration for our passionate endeavors later in life.
Other times, passions are found in those things in your life of which you never tire. When you consider all the things you willingly do with your life, which gives you energy? What things would you most like to change about your life? Thinking about these can often help you find your direction.
Sometimes, you discover a passion when you learn something or get really good at something. As you engage in an activity over time, you may discover hidden talents or true love for a type of work or pastime. When you feel very competent at something, you are empowered to excel and share your knowledge with others.
Finding your passion, then, is an essential goal for each of us. And when you discover it, you will enjoy many benefits beyond finding something you absolutely love.
The Importance of Passion in Your Life
“Our passions are the winds that propel our vessel. Our reason is the pilot that steers her. Without winds, the vessel would not move, and without a pilot, she would be lost.” Proverb
The importance of passion is summed up very well by this proverb. Your passions in life are the fuel that keeps the fires burning. They will provide you with motivation and energy; they will keep you focused, even when times are hard. All the reason and logic in the world will not help you feel fulfilled and love what you are doing unless you are excited about the outcome.
While we all have natural talents and have learned skills and knowledge along with life experiences, it is the passion that will drive you to succeed and earn true happiness. If you are not engaged in your talents or strengths, if they do not interest you, they are not doing you much good. It is when your passion intersects with these other things that you can finally enjoy all the benefits of finding your purpose.
Passion Builds Confidence
When you are excited and interested in a new endeavor or to reach a goal, you feel confident that you are doing the right thing and that you have what it takes to do what is necessary to succeed. Passion is the fuel that will motivate you to try again and again, even when you stumble or fail.
Passion Creates Happiness
When you feel dedicated and excited about something in your life, you will be happy, even if you do not succeed right away (or ever). The energy that is created by passion is enough to sustain positive feelings and help you feel happy about your hard work and efforts.
Passion Drives Personal Growth
When you are enthusiastic and focused on a goal that is important to you, you will stop at nothing to achieve it, including bettering yourself. Being passionate will encourage you to learn new things and develop new skills to complete your dream.
Passion Creates Purpose
Without passion in your life, you may find yourself floundering or following goals that are not important to you. Your obsessions are what keep you living longer because they provide you with a purpose and a need to continue doing what you are doing. Your dreams are what tell you where you are going and how you want to get there, which can ensure you stay on the best path possible for you.
Passion Inspires Others
When other people see how focused and motivated you are to reach your dreams, they can become more motivated themselves to reach for the stars. When you feel strongly about what you do, you attract the attention and interest of others, which can fuel your energies even more, too.
Passion Can Produce Profit
When you turn your passions into your work, then doing what you love also becomes a way to support yourself while enjoying what you do. Many people have successfully transformed a passion project or skill into an income, so why not you?
A Word About Passion and Work
You have likely heard the old advice that, if you do something that you love, the money will find its way to you. This, unfortunately, does not always happen for the simple fact that not every passion has a monetary value. You may be extremely interested in something, but that does not always translate into a career that can support you.
The trick to turning your passion into a job is to look deeper and think outside of the box, channeling aspects of your passion into a job that also leverages your other talents and allows you to capitalize on your values and beliefs.
When your passion involves a creative endeavor, for example, you may not be able to make a living as an artist, but you can find a career that allows you to have a creative outlet, to work with other artists, or to teach your skills to others. You can then use your income to fuel your personal passions which you love but may not pay the bills.
If a job does not exist that allows you to combine all these components into one, perhaps you could create one. Starting your own business can be scary, but the rewards are immeasurable. First, though, you need to be sure there is an unmet need that your services or product could fill. And you may need to get help with certain aspects of your business plan if you have never tackled something like this before.
Perhaps you already have a job that meets some of your requirements but not all for truly unleashing your passion. Is there a way to change your current responsibilities so that you can satisfy this need in some way? Would your company or boss be willing to renegotiate your role so that you can unleash your passions in your current setting?
Not every passion turns into a job, so you may need to adjust your mindset about what role your desires will play in your life. Perhaps the things you love to do the most are how you spend your personal time, while your professional life consists of work that allows you to use your strengths and earn a paycheck, which supports your passion.
Questions To Help You Find Your Passion
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela
If you are struggling to identify your passion in life, there are many exercises you can do and questions you can ask that will help you find your calling. Below we have included many different questions that can spark your thinking and ensure your exploration as you work toward discovering your calling in life or your passionate pastime.
- What are the top ten things you love doing the most?
- If you did not have to consider educational limitations or your current circumstances in life, what would you choose to do?
- Who do you most admire, and how could you change your life so that it resembles theirs?
- If you could change the world in any way, what would you do?
- Is there a problem you see in the world that you would like to be a part of solving?
- What is something that you absolutely can’t live without?
- What would your life be like if you had everything that you wanted?
- If money were not a concern (i.e., you had plenty to support you in a way that was comfortable), what you would do with your time?
- What were some of your interests as a child?
- What were some of the talents that developed when you were young?
- What did you use to dream about becoming when you were young?
- If you are a reader, what do you enjoy reading about the most?
- What is something that you care about deeply? It could be a cause, a person, an activity, or anything.
- If you had to read 100 books on the same subject, what would you choose?
- Who are the people that have everything that you want in life? Why do these people come to mind?
- If you had to work for one month without getting paid, what would you choose to do?
- When you feel the most beautiful, what are you doing?
- When you feel the most competent, what are you doing?
- When you are on your deathbed, what do you hope people say that you have done with your life?
- Do you have any friends or loved ones who are following their passions? If so, how did they determine their direction in life?
- Think back over the past year. What are the highlights that you think of first? When did you feel happiest? Most satisfied?
- What is your favorite part of every day?
- Is there something in your community that you would like to fix or a problem you think needs solving?
- When are times when you become completely engrossed in an activity? What were you doing the last time you lost track of time?
- What are your top five moments in your life?
- Is there a goal or accomplishment that gives you goosebumps when you consider what it would mean to carry out?
- What is one thing you have always dreamed about doing but never got have?
- Do you have any wild dreams that you once abandoned?
- What do you daydream about?
- Is there something you have been afraid to try because it takes you out of your comfort zone?
- Is there something you have always wanted to do but have not tried because you have been afraid you would fail or would not be particularly good at it?
16 Strategies to Help You Awaken Your Passion
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman
Now that you have asked yourself some interesting questions, you may need further inspiration to help you find your passions and ignite the spark in your life. If you are ready to explore your interests and find something that brings you purpose and drives your desire, then pick one or more of these to help you discover something that sets your soul on fire.
1| Create Your Vision
If you want to reach a dream, you first have to know what it is you are trying to accomplish. Fanaticize about the life you want most in this world. Where does this life take place, and with whom do you share it? Create a visual image of this life, including as many specifics as you can. The more vivid and precise your vision, the easier it is to figure out what passions will get you to this goal, and the easier it is to figure out which actions will lead you there.
2| Release the Hurt
If you want to unlock your inner passions and awaken your heart, it is crucial to let go of negative energy that could be holding you back. If you have regrets, pain, or other baggage that is weighing you down, now is the time to let it all go. Work through your mistakes or missteps, talk with a professional if you need to, but let it go so that you are in the right mindset to awaken your passion and move forward positively.
3| Learn Something New
If you want to awaken your inner creativity or develop new talent, you need to keep learning. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Take a class. Read lots of books. Watch videos and read blogs. Do whatever it takes to keep developing your talents and honing your skills. And learning is a terrific way to find new interests and passions, too.
4| Explore Your Childhood Interests
No matter how old you were, think of the things that you loved to do as a kid. What activities did you enjoy the most? How did you like to spend your time? Often, our earliest interests are still in our hearts, so take some time to explore yours to awaken your current-day excitement.
5| Imagine if Money Were No Object
Another way to awaken your passion and consider your real interests is to imagine your dream job or activity if you already have enough money that you did not have to worry about a paycheck.
If you already were living comfortable, debt free, and had no financial concerns whatsoever, what would you choose to do? How would you spend your time? This is often an excellent way to get to the heart of your real passions, which may lie in a current hobby but could become a possible career.
6| Consider Your Greater Impact
Thinking about how you can change the lives of others or improve the world in some way is a fantastic way to awaken your passion. Many times, our passions lie in helping others or finding better ways for the world to work. If there is a cause you care about profoundly or something you would like to see changed, maybe your passion can be found in addressing this unmet need.
7| Say “Yes” for One Month
Commit to saying “yes” to all the opportunities that come your way in one month (or two weeks or whatever makes you feel comfortable). The world may be presenting you with chances to find your passion, but you are too busy saying “no” to everything. Say yes and explore the possibilities.
8| Don’t Focus Too Much on the Job
If something gets your mind racing and your blood pumping, it is worth doing, even if it never earns you a dime. There are many things in this world that are worthwhile that will not make you money, but that does not mean they are not worth doing. If you find your passion but figure out it will not become your career, find ways to include it in your life, anyway. Do not get so hung up on income that you ignore passions that are staring you right in the face.
9| Figure Out What You Dislike, Too
If there are things you absolutely can’t stand, be sure you know this, too. These are options you can eliminate or should be incorporated into your “dream job or hobby” imaginings. If you absolutely hate something, it is important that is does not become a part of your new passion plan.
10| Think About Envy
Who are you jealous of? Like, really envious? When you think about your jealousy, there is something to this thought. Look at the work they do or the goals they have accomplished. What does this tell you about your possible passions?
11| Turn Mediocrity into Strength
There may be a lot of things that you are just okay at doing. What if you took all these things and put them together? What could you do with that? When you combine your average skills, you may find a synergy that results in a real passion to explore further. Most enormously successful people are good at many different things and found a way to capitalize on all those traits.
12| Stop Waiting for Lightning to Strike
Your passion will not be found (most likely) in an “aha” moment. While that does happen sometimes, it is more likely that your cravings will develop over time, through work and experimentation, requiring lots of thought and reflection. Be willing to wait and explore, as it often takes patience and time. Do not fret. Your passion is there. You just need to give yourself time to find it.
13| Ask Others
If you are struggling to find your passion, ask others in your life. Your close friends have a completely different perspective on your life than you. Find out what they think you should be doing. Give them time to answer and listen thoughtfully to their responses.
14| Consider What Kind of Old Person You Want to Be
Instead of harkening back to your young self, instead, imagine what you would like to have accomplished when you are much older. At the end of your life, what do you want to have accomplished or have done with your life? What do you think is important for your older self to be able to say about your life?
15| Make Something New
Instead of worrying about following in someone else’s footsteps, focus on creating something totally new. Starting from scratch is often much more inspiring and meaningful than trying to do something that others have already done. Invention sparks creativity and passion.
16| Do Not Give Up
If you do not find your passion right away, do not fret. Giving up is the surest way to lose the battle. Even if it takes much longer than you thought it would, if you give it the time it deserves, it will be worth it in the end. And even if you find a passion that engrosses you for some time, it is possible that your mind and heart have other plans. This process may need to occur many times in your life, so do not get discouraged if finding your passion or awakening your interests comes up many times in your life.
Final Thoughts
Finding the passion in your life can allow you to live with purpose, set the goals that are most important to you, and follow your dreams. When you have passion, you will be motivated and excited to get up each day and pursue whatever is in your heart.
Passion is a crucial ingredient to living a life that makes you happy, and the sooner you awaken your own fire, the quicker you can start living the life you have always wanted.
