We all have read a lot of articles on how to find your passion in life. From personality tests and questionnaires to life experiences and career advice, even I left no avenue untouched.
They say to look for hints around you, ask your friends and family for advice and put yourself out there, open to new experiences that take you outside your comfort zone and I’ve got to admit, I’ve done it all. I’ve even managed to dissect my personality into numerous letter codes like INFP and INTP, but even these weren’t good enough to satisfy my hunger to know it all.
For the most of us, discovering our passions isn’t as easy as getting a degree or finding a job. It’s a rather tiring and patience enduring process, with absolutely no assurance that you’ll get somewhere, or anywhere as a matter of fact.
Though what struck me the other day was the fact that for all these years I’ve been searching for my passion. I’ve been trying to find clues and road maps, how to guides or even a magic wand that gives me all the directions I need. Somehow the present me has been trying to find the future me, not create it.
But how can I find something that doesn’t exist yet?
It’s like having all the colors on your palette and a blank canvas in front of you while you simply sit still, waiting for the painting to appear.
Sounds silly doesn’t it? But that’s the rut a lot of us are stuck in. We are constantly in search of something not realizing that all the pieces of the puzzle are within us. We can choose to put them together how ever our hearts desire, for the first time, there are no wrong answers.
Different colors on our palette are simply the things we love vs. the things we absolutely despise. We know what makes us smile and what makes our heart ache instead. Our blank canvas is our entire life ahead of us starting from this very moment, simply waiting for us to fill it with our favourite colors making it what ever we want it to be.
Therefore after years of running around in circles and being disheartened over and over again, it finally hit me: I can be whoever I want to be. A magician, dancer, research scientist, barista, graffiti artist or a bear hugger — anything. Anything at all.
Yes, we all have limitations. And we have responsibilities to fulfill. But where’s the challenge and the thrill of accomplishment if the road is too easy, right? The problem arises when we feel stuck within and are unable to identify what it is that our heart truly desires.
Here are 3 quick and simple ways to overcome the self critique and the endless chatter in your mind and start listening to your true self. You don’t have to do them all, just pick one or alternate from one to another.
Write Everyday
It’s called garbage writing by some and that’s precisely what it really is. This is a simple way to let the clutter out of your overworked mind once a day. There are no magical revelations to be looked for or some mind boggling truth about the world. Think of it as a mind cleanse, something you do to get rid of the old…and get ready for the new.
Date Yourself
Everyone needs a timeout and so do you. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy a fabulous meal with yourself or a walk by the beach at least once a week. The only rule is that you can not take anyone along. No friends, no acquaintances, only unfamiliar faces are allowed: maybe try something new like a salsa class or a martial art lesson. Its all about doing something you enjoy and having a great time.
Be Still
Spend 10 minutes everyday to just be. You don’t have to meditate or pray or do anything for that matter. Don’t even try to control your thoughts, but accept them the way they are. Don’t evaluate, don’t analyse, don’t create and nor should you try to erase them, just let them float through your mind, appearing and disappearing into thin air.
These are some fabulous techniques to open the communication channel between the worldly you and soulful you, two of which are also suggested by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way. All you need to do is pay closer attention to yourself and what is innately you will emerge from in between all the clutter.
Just like wizards, magic exists in our fingertips. What colors are you going to add to your canvas today?
(Photo credit: Empty Treasure Chest via Shutterstock)
Yes! Thank you! I’m STILL trying to find my “Passion” after “finding” it twice. In one case, I was passionate about something that I ended up absolutely sucking at. I think eventually I’ll find something I’m talented at that I MIGHT be passionate about, but it’ll end up finding us, not the other way around.
Good point James, finding our passion or creating it is harder for some than others. Sometimes its just a trial and error process while at other times careful research and planning is required before we take the leap of faith.
Thanks for sharing.
I agree that we have to create our own passions, but there is a problem. My personal view is that we all know what we are interested in, but we have so many of these interests that we don’t know where to focus.
We have too many choices now. We can do virtually ANYTHING we want in life, but we can’t do EVERYTHING we want. Therein lies the problem. We try to do everything, and end up being mediocre at them all. You can’t have a world class career AND be a good parent. You can’t spend 60 hours a week at a start up and be a great musician. Choosing what not to do is far more important than choosing what to be passionate about.
That is a very interesting point John and you are very right. Sometimes its hard to pinpoint what is it that grabs your attention the most out of all the lovely things you can do in today’s world.
Well I guess you are lucky to be able to enjoy so many different activities. Make the best of all of them till some things grab your attention more than the others. Why settle for one when you can enjoy them all.
Vibha, Spot on! For myself, after hearing Philopsopher Joseph Campbell say, discovering your passion is the key to happiness, I have been in perpetual pursuit. While some are just called, i.e. my daughter knew she wanted to be a teacher since age three and she loves it. Others, myself included, just can not seem to land on one thing. Which is why your example of the canvas and paint truly resonated, have you been watching me?
Daniel Gilbert recently wrote “Stumbling Upon Happiness”, where he speaks of trying to discover the” future you” in the present, and it usually does not work. Thank goodness I did not commit to the dreams of my 20′s! Thanks for the post!
True enough Carin, some people just know what they want out of life while others have a journey of their own to undertake. Either ways the fact that finding your passion is the key to happiness, we have no other choice but to keep creating till the picture on our canvas makes us smile.
Thanks for sharing.
Its a Beautiful piece of thoughts and really neat three strategies……so does it mean that no more Peru or Volunteering in Nepal?? and what about Bali?
It’s a nice piece of writing, Vibha and really neat three strategies…so does that mean that one doesn’t need to go hike in Peru or volunteer in Nepal or what about learning Yoga in Bali??
Thank you my dear. Like Simi said I guess travelling is simply part of the fabulous package we create for ourselves ;)
Well I think these travels lead to you creating the person you want to be. What is cooler than a mountain hiking, intellectual, yoga instructor? Perhaps the lovable people around her, who let her do it all! :)
Absolutely!
How come ALL the infps encounter the same problem with finding what they would love to do?It is depressing.
Well how about we take it as an exciting challenge instead?