“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
-George Eliot
Let me guess.
You’ve heard people say it before.
You know on some level it relates to you.
But you haven’t quite cracked the code.
Well, you’re not alone.
Over 10,000 people each month look to answer the same question.
Which one?
“How to find your passion?”
Admittedly, I’ve been one of those 10,000 on more than one occasion.
If you’re reading this, perhaps you are too.
So just how do you answer this question?
The question that seems to surface all too many times.
Well, that’s exactly what we’ll accomplish today.
But first, let’s make sure we’re speaking the same language…
What is Passion?
The word is scattered about online and used so much I believe it lost its true meaning.
It’s time to hit the reset button.
Passion is an emotion. Specifically, a strong and barely controllable one, according to our dear friends at Google.
You don’t wake up and search for emotions do you?
You don’t get out of bed and pick up your happiness on the dresser in the morning, right?
No.
You experience emotions.
So despite hearing people – to include myself – tell you to “find and live your passion,” remember it’s an emotion you experience.
The expression has caused confusion and leads us to believe our passion is literally lost somewhere awaiting rescue.
I assure you, it’s not.
To illustrate the point, we’ll look at science.
According to the cognitive appraisal theory, we experience emotions through a four step process.
First, there’s a stimulus. Something like a lion, or tiger, or bear.
(Did you say “Oh My?” Just checking…)
After the stimulus enters the picture, we give it “thought”. So in our animal reference, should we be in the wilderness, we instantly think “oh sh*t!”
Once we give it thought, we experience a physiological response. Back to the animal, our heartbeat may increase, we have shortness of breath, and we get sweaty palms.
Finally, we have an emotional response. And if you’re face-to-face with a wild animal, let’s assume your emotion is fear!
Using this theory as a guide, when you’re trying to “find your passion,” you’re ultimately looking for an experience that leads to an emotional response. A strong and barely controllable emotion response.
Are we on the same page so far?
Good!
Let’s acknowledge something now…
What’s all the fuss about “passion” in the first place?
We’ve calibrated on the meaning, but what’s the big deal anyway?
For years, I thought people made such a fuss of the topic for nothing.
It was merely a catch phrase to me.
But something happened.
I noticed a connection somewhere, and suddenly it all made sense.
As a means to grow, I bury my nose in books to study great leaders and achievers from years past. People who changed the world with their ideas or inventions and cemented their place in history.
And that’s when I discovered the pattern.
These historical figures were passionate – and most often obsessed – about their ideas or inventions. The ones that changed the world, made it a better place, and become pivotal in our evolution, all were passionate.
Being passionate about something is a precursor to impacting the world. Making a difference. And giving rise to the best version of yourself.
I’m not sure about you, but my goal is to make a meaningful impact, to leave the world a better place, and have a lasting legacy for future generations.
If that describes you too, well, being passionate is critical to the mission.
Back to the major problem…
Where do I “find” my passion?
As we said earlier, passion is a strong or barely controllable feeling.
The question is, “what experiences have you felt strongly about?”
We are looking for any types of feelings. Albeit, anger, fear, happiness, sadness, etc.
As you bring these experiences to the forefront, get them listed. Then look for some connection between them.
It may not be glaringly obvious at first, but on some level, I bet they are connected. And it’s around this point where you begin to form a picture of what you’re “passionate” about.
You may ask though…
What if I have multiple things I’m passionate about?
If you’re asking this question, I’m excited for you.
Why?
Because you have a variety of experiences that evoke strong feelings – passionate ones – and that’s outstanding!
So what exactly should you do?
First, realize there’s a huge misconception about “finding and living your passion.” The misconception is that someone can (or should) only have one passion.
Let me shout this loudly – FALSE!
You can absolutely be passionate about multiple things.
How do I know this?
Well, some of the most successful entrepreneurs I know are passionate about multiple things, and they find ways to balance them.
Whether you have one, or multiple, I encourage you to follow the lead of Alice from Alice in Wonderland. She followed the rabbit to the hole, and it led to one heck of an adventure.
Pursue them, all of them, but make sure you do one major, major thing…
Get everything scheduled on a calendar.
Once you narrow down your passion(s), now it’s time to create a schedule.
Surround yourself morning, noon, and night. Get immersed and create a healthy obsession.
You will fight one major barrier – inertia!
You likely have a routine, and once we have them, they are hard to break. If your routine has nothing to do with your passion, it will act as a barrier. And this is precisely why you need a plan.
Spend time mapping out your new “passion” routine. Then work like hell to stick it out.
You may need help along the way – and that’s okay!
If this was enough to light the proverbial fire, great! If not, well, don’t be shy about asking for help. Friends, family or even complete strangers, believe it or not, can be extremely helpful.
In any case, make sure to download the “4 Steps to Finding and Living Your Passion.”
4 Simple Steps for Finding and Living Your Passion!
These 4 simple steps and 18 concepts work together to move you from searching for, to living out, your passion.
After you download the steps, if you need more help, just remember I’m only a click away!
As always thanks for taking the time to read and let me know your comments below!