The Power of Plugging Into Your Passion
Passion – it’s easy to spot in others. It’s like the kind of contagious energy that exudes from someone newly in love.
Hide? No passion doesn’t hide – it leaps out and springs to life when barely nudged.
It is powerful! And it propels you forward and keeps you on track. It motivates. Inspires. Energizes.
The perk to passion is that what you get excited about doing has the potential to make a significant difference in the lives of others. Pretty sweet that it works that way!
But here’s the bummer: many people wander aimlessly searching for their passion. Hunting! A fruitless search day in and day out. How can that be? How does something remain elusive that you are actually wildly excited about? I think there are three reasons:
- We dismiss our passion because we think it should make us money, perhaps a lot of money.
- We have preconceived ideas about what it should look like – it couldn’t possibly be “x”.
- We allow fear to dull our passions and when we let that happen for too long fear completely snuffs it out.
What is Passion?
Passion is described as unwavering determination or an internal energy to pursue what you care about deeply or what effortlessly gives you a sense of freedom.
Dr. John Townsend describes it as “focused desire.”
The way I describe passion: something you would do regardless of the outcome because you enjoy it that much. In other words, money, fame, results, etc. don’t matter – it’s simply the joy you get from engaging in your passion.
Regardless of how you define it, you know when someone has it and when it’s missing!
Without passion, life is less fulfilling, dull, and emotionally flat. Apathy and feeling stuck have a way of filling the void of passion.
Remember!
As kids, there was freedom to play, experiment, and try new things – a necessary component to zeroing in on your passion. If you take a look back, you will probably find hints of your passion if you know what you are looking for!
Here’s a great example – once my youngest son mastered riding a two-wheel bike, he declared riding a bike his passion. It gave him so much joy that he couldn’t imagine a life void of that activity. It turns out that bike riding was a temporary thrill, but looking back, the real passion was mastering something new.
What gave you pure joy as a child?
My Own Passions
For as long as I can remember, there are three things that have consistently brought me joy. I’ve loved, loved, loved books and reading and learning (they go hand in hand in my mind). My crowded books shelves are proof!
Another passion that has withstood the test of time: being creative. My passion for all things creative comes out when I am painting, decorating, crafting, writing curriculum, developing a workshop, designing a Facebook post, or even coaching. It’s about coming up with memorable ways to present an idea or a new way of connecting the dots.
Finally, I get a kick out of organizing and coming up with systematic ways of doing tasks. I know that sounds lame, but it’s how my brain works and it pleases me.
I’m thankful that over the course of my life, that I’ve had the opportunity to do all sorts of different kinds of work. Some I’ve enjoyed a bit more than others, but all have been a chance to learn and grow in some way. And then to varying degrees, there’s been space for my passions to play a part. In fact, what I love most about the work I do now as a coach is that it truly combines my passions and work in a way that enables me to make a difference in the lives of my clients. That’s a huge blessing!
Discovering Your Passion
What are you passionate about? Answering that may feel tricky. Sometimesit is so much a part of us that we miss it!
Ready to identify your passions?
- What topic causes you to come alive and get more animated when you talk about it? You speak faster, gesture more, and lean into the conversation.
- Think back in your life to a time when you felt fully alive; where time slipped away unnoticed when you were engaged in this activity. What were you doing?
- Look around you. What clues do you see in your environment? What interests, hobbies, etc. are reflected that excite you?
- When you have spare time, what are you doing? What are you exploring via the internet?
- What if money (or time) were not an issue; what would you pursue?
- Enlist the help of those close to you. What passions do they see?
- Pray and seek God’s insights. What passions does He see in you?
Guarding Your Passion
Identifying your passion is just the beginning. Without intentionally making space for your passion, it will fade! Just because it’s energizing and motivating doesn’t mean it will linger without deliberately weaving it into your life.
Fear is the enemy! It longs to blot out your passion and eliminate the powerful impact your passion has. Pay attention to what’s keeping you from nurturing it. And here are few more ways to guard your passion:
1. Stop Worrying About What Others Think!
Passion is uninhibited. Free! Willing to be curious, explore, and take risks. Nothing kills desire or distracts your focus like worrying about what others think.
2. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Passion is personal. It comes from within. It doesn’t imitate others – that’s the outside dictating to your inside.
3. Simplify
Being overwhelmed and too busy is a great big passion zapper! Passion requires space. It’s about clearing away the clutter and disorganization around you and having more margin in your schedule. Too many hobbies or responsibilities erodes passion.
One of the simple ways I like to ensure that I have the space necessary for my passions is to weave them into my routines. For example, my husband and I spend at least 30 minutes each evening reading after dinner. How can you incorporate them into your routines?
4. Resist Procrastinating
Passions are not meant to be perfected – they are meant to be enjoyed. Often, we procrastinate because we are attempting to do something perfect instead of being fully present and delighting in the process.
5. Start Thinking Abundance
The lack of money, time, or resources puts a damper on your passion, but it doesn’t have to. Instead, let that fuel your creativity. Trust that you have everything you need to pursue your passion.
6. Get Support
The definition of support: bear all or part of the weight of; hold up.
Life was not meant to be done solo. We were made for relationships; community. Who are the people in your life who support and encourage you to keep pursuing your passion when it gets hard? Allowing family, friends, or a coach to support you is invaluable!
Integrating your Passion
According to Richard Chang, “Passion without purpose is meaningless.”
If your purpose is who God created you to be, how does your passion fuel that? For example, if who God created you to be is compassionate, what does that look like when it’s infused into your passions.
God made me to be loving and even though I am only able to operate in a loving way with His help, when combined with my passions – that’s my sweet spot!
Your passion creates the energy and focus you need to pursue your purpose. That’s where you have the potential to make an incredible difference. When those things all collide, life is incredibly fulfilling! That’s what coaching is like for me!
What’s your passion and how is it igniting your purpose?
