Sounds exciting, doesn't it? And it is – even though I'm not referring to passion of the sweat, thrust and lust kind! I am talking about your passion for something; a cause or activity that you innately feel connected with, something that energises you and puts a fire of excitement in your belly.
I've found many of my clients really struggle with identifying their passion. I believe the movies have a lot to answer for in this, as they show passion as raw emotion – with lots of desire and flesh. As a result, we feel we have to have this insatiable feeling to warrant it being deemed ‘a passion’.
For years I could easily explain what I loved to do, but I didn't feel these activities deserved the esteemed title of ‘my passion’. I didn't undertake them with reckless abandonment, and I wasn't feeling all flushed and sweaty at the thought of doing them! This meant I felt lacking, and even unexciting.
It wasn’t until I read articles and blogs that challenged the definition in my head of what a passion is that I started to see it differently. I looked at myself and reflected on what I have genuine enthusiasm for; what energises me. And I feel the question you should ask yourself in order to identify your passion is: What energises you from your heart?
Passion is feeling deeply about something you’re interested in. Our passions come from our hearts, not our heads. It's often something that will consume your spare time, or an activity that you'll talk about with great energy and animation. It's something you will do regardless of whether you are being paid.
To help you connect and put more passion into your life, I’ve come up with the three Ts: Tune In, Try It, and then, Tweak It.
Try the three Ts
Tune In. Your body is such an incredible resource for telling you if you're in alignment or not, and we often ignore all the little signals it sends us. The obvious ones are when we get nervous or anxious; you can’t eat, your tummy feels in knots, and you may start to perspire and talk more quickly. This contrasts the sensations when you get excited about something; you have a light, almost giddy, feeling in your stomach – the butterflies! Your skin tingles, and you can't help but smile; your body feels lighter and more energised. Try to note how your body responds when you undertake a particular activity, and tune into these little indicators to help guide you. This is your intuition speaking in volumes, but often – too often – we are not listening. So if it feels good, look for ways to incorporate it into your everyday life.
Try it. Show up and give it a go! We’re all guilty of putting things that seem a bit indulgent or don't pay the bills down the priority list or on the back burner, but by investing time into something that makes you feel great, you will feel more fulfilled. We are human BEINGS, but so many of us have become human DOERS. By creating time to channel your energy into things you feel connected with, you will work out what your passion is – but you have to give it a go to find out!
Finally, Tweak it. We often set off on a path in which we are sure of the end destination, but my experience has taught me that you need to be open and flexible to changes along the way; life is about the journey. Sometimes drastic changes are needed, and other times it's just a slight tweak, but you need to trust that you will end up where you need to be. More often than not, it is a place that’s a whole lot better than where you started!
So please make time to connect with your passion, ideally daily, or schedule in dedicated time for it every week. By spending time doing what you love and what makes you feel great, you will get more satisfaction and fulfilment, which will ripple into other areas of your life.
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