What are you passionate about?
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?
Finding that thing that makes you want to get out of bed every morning, that thing that makes you whistle while you work, is the first step in finding happiness. Too often, we look outside of ourselves to find something to make our lives a little better. We seek more money, a new car or house, a better relationship-and all the while we neglect our true needs.
There are those that have given up the things they wanted most in life in order to be what they were expected to become. The woman who gave up her dream of becoming a CEO in order to raise the family. A father who put away those model trains once life got in the way because they were childish and there simply was not enough time. These were the dreams we allowed to falter because life expected something or we perceived life expected something more of us than we had time to give.
Discovering your passion may actually be difficult if it’s been dormant for an extended period of time. It may have even changed. To answer the question, what are you passionate about, may require that you spend time and energy seriously considering your likes and dislikes. Think back to your youth and the things that interested you as a child or teenager. Think about projects or hobbies you worked on that left you exhilarated. Write in your journal or look through past journal entries and find the pattern of things that leave you feeling better about your day. If you listen to your heart, the answer will reveal itself rivaled by little else.
Once that passion is rediscovered, never lose it again. There is a reason why the youth of the world do not listen to what society has to say and that is passion. Never letting the world take too firm a hold on your life is at the heart of your happiness. Sure, supporting your family is necessary and working is an inevitable evil, but that is not all the world is made of. Our passions are what make us unique and if we find them again, we need to hold on for dear life.
Discovering and living your passion is more rewarding than the raise your boss will give you or the new outfit you bought last week. Material success cannot compare to the feeling of accomplishing a personal goal or living out a dream. When you take the time to fulfill your own desires you will be rewarded with a sense of pride and inner peace.
Stop right now and think about those things that made youth so wonderful. If only for a moment, take a step back 10, 20, 30, 50 years and find that one thing that drove your mind to the limits of happiness. Once you have that thought firmly in your grasp, go for it!
