“The meaning of life is to find your gift; the purpose of life is to give it away.”
Pablo Picasso
If someone sat you down today, and genuinely asked “what are you passionate about?”, how would you answer? You may have multiple passions filling your heart and your schedule, or like most people, you may still be searching for that passion. The words passion and purpose are often used interchangeably when referring to why someone lives their life the way that they do. Finding your passion or life’s purpose can help you identify a path on which to travel. It can help you to define goals, make decisions and make changes in your life.
If you are among those who have found your passion, congratulations! You can stop reading now. But if you, like many others, have not found your passion, do not fret. There are plenty of ways to find your passion or your purpose in life. The most important thing to remember is that you will not be able to identify your passion if you are not open and honest with yourself. No one else is going to find your passion for you. You can start the process by taking a look inside yourself; what truly makes you happy? What brings you the most joy? If you cannot identify anything that you have already tried, think about those statements in a future tense; what would truly make you happy? What would bring you the most joy? Next, identify your personal strengths; what are you good at? Don’t get discouraged at this point if the things that bring you joy and the things that you are good at do not line-up. A passion does not have to be something that you are inherently good at, or comes easily to you. The next step is to find a way to explore the things that bring you joy and the things that you are good at. Maybe there is a different way for you to utilize your skills and bring joy into your life. Speak to those who are already doing the thing that you want to do. Ask them all of the questions that have been swirling around in your head. How did you find this? Does it make you happy? How do I get my foot in the door? The last step is to actually do the thing. If you believe that your passion is painting, sit down and get some paint on a canvas. If you feel your passion is singing, sign up for an open mic night. Find an outlet for that potential passion and go with it. If it doesn’t fit the first time, just go back to your list of what makes you happy and what you are good at, and pick something else. There are infinite possibilities, and if you keep on trying it is likely that you will find the one that fits just right,
If you can’t figure it out on your own, there are professionals (like us) to help guide you. You are still strong and valuable if you ask for help.
References:
Carter, S. B. (2013, April 7). The Power of Passion. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201304/the-power-passion
Flaxington, B. D. (2018, June 25). Finding Your Passion. Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understand-other-people/201806/finding-your-passion
Moeller, J. (2017, May 15). Passion 101. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/passion-101/201705/passion-101-0