Hi Chris,
What advice would you give to those who are struggling to find their passion?
Signed,
Passionately struggling
~~~~~~~~~~
Hmmm passionately struggling…
I’ll be blunt.
If you’re struggling, then it’s not a passion you’re looking for…it’s an answer to a question in your mind.
One that you think you MUST answer in order to be like everyone else.
I see this often when I’m working with clients. They THINK they MUST have a passion about something. When I ask why, the answers are usually:
- I can’t achieve anything real, without one.
- That’s how most people succeed…by focusing on their passion
- It will bring me happiness
- It’s what everyone says helped them
- There are so many books written about it, it must be important
- Because being passionate about something will make it easier to achieve
- Having one will give me a real purpose in life
Ugh…
I want them to be as passionate about just “being,” than they are about finding a passion.
You see, passionately struggling, finding your passion is not an ACTIVE pursuit. It’s actually a passive and reflective activity.
And that’s WHY most people miss it.
If you’re looking for something to be passionate about, you’ll miss what you’re already passionate about.
Let me give you an example…
I was working with a sales team a few years ago. I would present mindset activities during the team meetings and then meet one-on-one with the employees after.
I would ALWAYS start the conversation with… Tell me what’s in your way, that if we got it out of the way, you’d be far more successful.
Sometimes, it would be:
- I need strategies to find more customers
- I need to learn more about our products to position them with customers
- I need to get better at listening
- I need to do something else
- I don’t think I’m good at this
When they were not solely focused on making a sale, they became reflective and asked if this was what they really wanted. And when that happened, I’d take them down another path of discovery.
I’d ask questions like:
- Where in your past did you find yourself completely happy?
- What were you doing?
- Who were you doing it with?
- Why were you doing it?
- Would you do it again since it gave you such joy?
Passive reflection.
Not chasing anything. Not proving anything. Just being.
Every time, I kid you not, they found either a newly uncovered passion or found a way to bring that newly uncovered passion into their sales and it was a game changer.
So if you’re struggling to “find” your passion, you’re being active.
Find a way, use meditation, journaling, walking, running — anything that gets you out of your head and into your heart.
And then, reflect.
Ask yourself the same questions I asked and make note of the answers.
Walk away from your writing and come back to it a few days later.
It will reveal itself to you.
What brings you joy when you’re doing it…IS your passion.
Don’t judge it.
Respect it.
Embrace it.
Own it.
And finally…be it.
My passionate BEST to you!
~ Let life love you!
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