8 Steps to Help You Find Your Passion
Pursue your dreams. Follow your own path. Do what you love. How many times have you heard or read things like that? They are wonderful ideas, but they don’t mean anything if you have not yet defined your dreams, if you have not yet found your path, or if you do not yet know exactly what you love.
The first step is to dare yourself to have your own dreams, design your own path, and determine what you truly love. However, most people don’t know what their true passion is, and you can’t go in search of a dream if you don’t know what it is your searching for.
Wisdom is the art of accepting that which cannot be changed, to change what can be changed, and, above all, to know the difference.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius
You will read that to reach your goals you need discipline, concentration, and the ability to compromise, but in reality the problem is much easier; though it may be painful to admit, the truth is that many people don’t succeed in life simply because they don’t know what to do with their lives.
The solution to leading a successful life begins with determining what your true passion is, what moves you. But how?
1- Imagine yourself 5 years from now
Imagine that it’s five years from now and all of your dreams have come true. Pick up a paper and pen, or open a document on your computer, and write down every detail about what that life would be like.
Use a timer and write for ten minutes about the different aspects of that life, for example what time you would get up in the morning, how much money you would make, what your job would be, what kind of people you would surround yourself with, what your house would be like, what car you would drive, what you would eat, what that life would be like in general, and how you would feel about it.
Remember, this is not an exercise about what your life is like right now, but rather about what it would be like if all of your dreams had come true in the past few years.
2- Read self-help books, and take notes
Reading a good self-help book can be incredibly powerful, especially when you are able to adopt and put into practice the ideas that you find there. Just reading these books is useless if you do not employ the advice they offer.
You would be stunned to learn how many people buy this type of book and all they do is read the title. If the title is inspiring, then imagine what you could find inside.
3- Volunteer
Participating in volunteer work will allow you to meet interesting, motivated, and positive people. It will also help you to discover things about yourself that maybe you never knew, and to find meaning in things that you never would have considered otherwise.
4- Find a hobby (and do it!)
We have all once wanted to try something, but have not had the courage to. Our excuses may range from “I don’t have enough time” to “what would people say” or “how am I going to start doing that at my age.”
Don’t put it off any longer; start doing it today. If you feel attracted to that thing, it is for a reason. Stop denying yourself the right to do it and start now.
5- Follow an inspiring blog and take action
Find a blog that you like and that inspires you. (Maybe exploringyourmind.com?) Don’t read just the first articles that pop up on your homepage; read the ones that call your attention.
After reading, write down the ideas that you find most interesting and inspiring, and take action. If you have felt attracted to that content, it is for a good reason.
6- Spend time trying to answer the question: “What do I want to do?”
Dare yourself to hold nothing back when you answer this question: What do I want to do with my life? Don’t restrain yourself. Don’t make excuses. Answers like “I would like to do that but I can’t because…” don’t count.
7- Know your fears
What scares you? Dare yourself to recognize it. When we confront our fears, we may realize very interesting things about our character. And, surprisingly, this generates a strong feeling of self-confidence, the same sensation that you feel when you dare to confide in a friend.
Additionally, identifying and knowing your fears will also help you to look for the cause of those fears. This is the first step to overcoming self-imposed limits that cause us to stop ourselves from doing things.
8- Look for the lesson in every situation
Always take into consideration what you can learn from everything you experience. If you are capable of learning something from every situation, every moment will help to clarify things in your life.