Live Peace and Passion

Last time, I posted a step 1 in finding your passion. Taking this further now, into step 2 & 3, you’ll need to go deeper for some inspiration. In finding your passion, it’s important to look within yourself and focus on what it is you truly enjoy doing. What excites you? It may be something at work.. a part of your job that gets you excited perhaps. It could be something you do outside of work like a hobby, a side job, something you do as a volunteer or a parent or a spouse or a friend. It could be something you haven’t done in awhile. Again, think about this for 30 minutes, or 15 at the least. If you don’t, you’re probably shortchanging yourself. Think about this as your step 2 and record your findings.

For step 3 in finding your passion, think about something you’ve secretly dreamed of. You might have some ridiculous dream job you’ve always wanted to do. Have you ever had a dream of being a novelist, an artist, a designer, an architect, a doctor, an entrepreneur, a programmer. Maybe some fear or self-doubt has held you back and led you to dismiss this idea. List your dream ideas, no matter how unrealistic.

I think it’s important to do what you love.. or at least, love what you do. I know this is sometimes easier said that done. I am one of the lucky ones as I am doing what I love to do. Are you? You’ve heard the saying.. “Life is short”. Well it’s also a lot more fulfilling when you are living it with passion.

So, how do you go about finding your passion? Sometimes a skill or talent will push themselves forward at a young age.. how lucky is that, right? Sometimes a little more personal investigating is in order. Think about it.. unless you’re reading this while you’re still really young, you most likely have some skills or talents and shown some kind of aptitude. Are you a good speaker, writer, sketcher, organizer, builder, planner, teacher, friend? Maybe you have you been great at unique ideas, connecting people, gardening, selling?

Truly take your time and give it some thought. Think back, maybe way back to childhood even, to hobbies, to first jobs, projects you enjoyed. Within this personal investigation could be your passion.. or passions even. You’re on your way!

The greatest change happens because of people that are deeply passionate, and have a great love for the work they do.

If you want to make a difference in the world, the single most important thing you can do is consciously and deliberately choose to do work that you are passionate about.

No other choice can have a greater impact on the planet, or your life.

If you’re doing work that’s boring, you probably won’t make much of an impact. You might provide people with some amount of value. Enough to pay your rent, enough to get by. But you won’t be inciting change. And you certainly won’t be inspiring others.

If you’re doing boring work, chances are you do just enough to not get fired.

But if you do work that excites you, keeps you up at night, and fulfills you… you’ll do more. You’ll give yourself to it completely. You’ll put in extra time, more energy, more passion. Because it’s worth it. It’s satisfying.

At the end of the day you’ll think: “My time was well spent today.”

So the real question isn’t whether or not to do boring or passionate work. The question is how to get started.

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