Mums, have you already found your passion in life or do you feel you have no idea about it?
What we are taught to do since we are young
Many of us are taught to follow the rules of the system, get a job from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., receive a decent salary and live like this until the retirement day arrives. Then, if you are lucky and still have some strength you can finally enjoy life when you are in your 60’s. This because you passed the most productive years of your life doing something you did not enjoy to earn something you think can give you more stability.
I was taught like this until I met my husband. He is American and I am European. I know it can sound like a prejudice, but in Europe, we are mostly taught to follow a system and its rules, have a job, work for somebody because it is economically “safer” and more comfortable, while in America (for this I mean American continent) there is somehow a common incentive to do what you love and to endeavor, considering your passion, because people believe that if you do what you love you have much more probabilities to succeed.
Wouldn’t it be nice to spend our life doing something we like and be paid for that?
It is ok you do not want to be an entrepreneur but even if you are working for somebody you should be happy doing it. That means you would feel more satisfied and it could also have a positive impact on your health – less stress, more enthusiasm and the results for the company that hired you would also be better, for sure.
Five Ways to find your passion in life
Do not expect that after reading this article you will have an epiphany about what your passion is (maybe you have it – lucky you!).
Usually, it requires some hours, days or even weeks of reflection until you can find the right answers.
After I made this search for myself too (it took me weeks to find the answer), here are some questions I found helpful.
1. What would make you wake up from bed at 4 in the morning with joy?
This is a tough one, isn’t it? However, if you find the answer, you are definitely in a good way to find out what your passion is.
Would you wake up early to make a trip? Would you wake up early to read a book? Would you do it to go running or practice a sport? Think about it.
2. In what would you spend your time, if you had financial abundance?
Imagine you have full freedom to spend your money without thinking in “tomorrow”. Then you would do what you enjoy because you would not have the concern about money.
Would you attend an art course? Would you make volunteering? Would you become a writer? Would you travel around the world? Would you create an ONG to help refugees? Would you spend all your time resting (in this case, maybe you could open a company that made bed mattresses)?
3. Make a list with what you do not like doing and with what you are mediocre at.
It can sound something simple, but many times we do not even think about it. When you make a list with what you are not good at or with what you do not like, you eliminate many options.
This exercise can help you to find what you like and what you do well (not necessarily with excellence, but fairly good) more easily.
4. Try to imagine yourself in five years. What would you be doing, when you visualize it?
When you make this exercise you think about your future, about what you would like it would be (you will certainly think about something that you like, which can lead you to identify your passion).
Have you ever read the book The Secret, from Rhonda Byrne? Most of it is about visualization and its importance to lead your mind and (un)conscious to act somehow and bring results you wish or attract the most.
According to Marci Shimoff:
Many people in Western culture are striving for success. They want the great home, they want their business to work, they want all these outer things. But what we found in our research is that having these outer things does not necessarily guarantee what we really want, which is happiness. So we go for these outer things thinking they’re going to bring us happiness, but it’s backward. You need to go for the inner joy, the inner peace, the inner vision first, and then all of the outer things appear.
5. Try something new
Try something new can also help to find what you like. It can be a new experience or a new reading about a subject you are passionate about. That can bring you new ideas, other points of view, a different focus for your thoughts or ways of life.
Citing Harriet Tubman, before finishing this post:
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.