PassionQuest

A recurring theme I hear from new coaching clients is the absence of passion in their lives.  We often start out talking about how their careers aren’t as fulfilling anymore, but eventually the conversation leads to an overall lack of passion.  We’ve gotten so busy and harried that we don’t make time to do the things that matter most to us.  Any free time we have gets eaten up with chores, errands, and tending to the needs and desires of others.  When was the last time you felt a rush of passion? I used this quote from Socrates last week, but it bears repeating:  Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

I believe our passions are always part of us, an internal fire.  But like any fire, if not tended to it will die down until it just becomes embers.  If I were to ask, what are you passionate about - what really stokes your fire - what would you say?  And how long would it take you to come up with that answer?  Would you worry that your answer wasn’t good enough – or enough enough?

If you’re out of touch, consider embarking on a PassionQuest.  Identify something that you love or at least something that sparks an interest and bring more it into your everyday life. This is an excellent practice for making room for new dreams or even discovering your dream job. Do something you’ve never done, or do something you truly enjoy.  The goal here is to uncover something about yourself, something new perhaps, or something forgotten.  Don’t assume you know.  Play detective.  Turn this into a personal practice, and your passion will begin to burn brighter and you’ll feel that sense of ‘aliveness’ which may have been missing.

Start by asking:

What am I passionate about doing?

Perhaps you love to cook.  You could spend hours in the kitchen if you had the time.  Clear a couple of hours on your weekly calendar and sign up for a cooking class.  You may find new dimensions to your love of cooking.  You may become fascinated by the challenge of using only local, seasonal ingredients, or how food can be used as a cure for certain diseases.  You could ignite a desire to start a cooking club or to teach others how to cook.  Where could you go from there?

Who am I passionate about being? 

You love to read about politics, and you’re so interested in how the actions of elected officials impacts our lives.  You may begin by attending some local neighborhood or city council meetings, but you soon decide that you want participate rather than just observe. Biographies of famous elected officials often begin with a passion for being one of the people who are sitting at the table rather than in the audience. 

And my favorite, what makes my blood boil?

The answer to this question can be very helpful because passion doesn’t always reveal itself as bliss or happiness.  Identifying something that enrages you is sometimes easier to access – it’s closer to the surface. For example, you may get enraged by cruelty to animals.  This may inspire you to volunteer at the local Humane Society.  But as you keep following this thread you may discover that your passion is bigger than animals.  You may find that what really makes your blood boil is abuse of defenseless victims.  This could take you down a road towards becoming an advocate, a voice for any victim who doesn’t have one.

The point isn’t where you end up – hopefully that becomes a lifelong journey.  The point is to start.  Find something that matters to you so much that you have to act upon it and follow that thread, take consistent action no matter how small, and remain open to what your heart tells you along the way.

As that famous 1990’s pop group said:  Spice up your life! Need help brainstorming?  Call me – this is one of my favorites!