"A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm." -- Charles M. Schwab

Alive & Well Archives

April 2001

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TODAY'S QUOTE:  Take your passion and make it happen

                                        -Irene Cara from the movie Flashdance

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TODAY'S TOPIC: Living With Passion

A couple of years before I became a coach, I traveled frequently to visit clients. On one flight from the east coast to Denver, I chatted with the man sitting next to me. The man asked what I liked to do when I wasn’t working. What were my hobbies? What was I passionate about?

Sadly, I didn’t have an answer. I was working and running around so much, I didn’t really feel passionate about anything. As I sat on the airplane without an answer, I felt depressed and dumbfounded! I was so busy and stressed, I was not in tune with my passions.

Also, I thought passion meant you had to absolutely LOVE something. You had to spend most of your spare time doing an activity. I thought the only people who had hobbies or passions were people like musicians, artists, rock climbers, gardeners or professional athletes – not people like me. I thought passion meant *doing* something.

I’ll never forget that plane ride, because I realized how numb I had become.  I realized I was not living my life fully. Although I was constantly busy, I was not fulfilled or alive. So I set out to find my passions.

How do you do that? First, you must give yourself the time and space to reveal your passions. For example, I started mediating daily, which gave me downtime and allowed me to get in tune with my heart. It’s also important to remember that passion means different things to different people. You don’t have to be an artist or athlete to be passionate. You don’t have to spend all your free time *doing* to feel passionate about something.

Another way to reveal your passions is to notice what excites you when you talk or read about it. Do you get animated or energized when you talk about certain subjects? If so, that subject is probably a passion for you.

Let me give you some examples of passion using my family:

** I’m very passionate about my mental and physical health. In fact, I am so passionate that I am a strict vegetarian; I don’t drink caffeine or sodas; I don’t eat sugar or sugar substitutes; I buy organic products; I exercise 5-6 hours per week; I drink about 100 ounces of water daily; I mediate and journal for a few hours every week. When I get into a discussion about health, I come alive, and I don’t back down.

** My sister is passionate about softball. Every spring, she becomes excited because softball season starts. She frequently goes to the batting cage to practice her swing, even when it is cold. In fact, she has stayed at the batting cage despite rain and lightening.

** My mom is passionate about history. She loves traveling to historical places, and she enjoys watching the history channel on television. When she talks about history, her arms move around, her eyes light up and her voice becomes more animated.

** My nephew loves lacrosse and plays on a lacrosse team. If you ask him about lacrosse, he becomes very animated as he talks about it. He even sleeps with his lacrosse stick. Now that’s what I call passion!

What about you? What are you passionate about? What excites you and gets your blood pumping? If you don’t know, follow these suggestions:

** Give yourself the time and space to get in tune with your passions. Take a walk, mediate, do some deep breathing, journal, etc.

** Pay attention to what excites you. When you are talking, notice the topics that get you pumped up. What magazine articles or books stir something in you?

** Ask yourself, “If I could not fail, what would I do?” The uncensored answer may reveal your passions.

** Ask the people around you what they think your passions are. They may detect what you can’t see.

When you have identified your passions, make sure you honor them. If you love to draw, make sure drawing is a consistent part of your life (even if you don’t think you are good). If you are passionate about nature, spend time in nature. If you don’t honor your passions and engage in them, you will not live your life fully. Don’t push your passions away. I’ve worked with a few clients who loved to draw, but they didn’t make time to draw.  After making drawing a part of their lives, they felt more alive. Don’t ignore your passions.

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Coaching Challenge

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If you don’t know what your passions are, follow the steps above. Give yourself time. You may not discover your passions overnight. Once you know your passions, honor them immediately. If you love to draw, get out your drawing pad, even if it’s been years since you’ve picked it up. If you love to sing, join a chorus or sing daily in the shower. Whatever you do, don’t try to hide your passions. Honor them and LIVE WITH PASSION!