Living Your Passions

What does it mean to live your passions?  It means to live from your center - your heart and soul.  It is what makes life worthwhile.  Living out your passions is what makes you feel alive. Each of us has our own unique purpose and path to follow.  When you design your life around your passions, you can't help but feel inner happiness because you are being true to yourself.

The one thing people fear is living a meaningless life.  At the end of a person's life, the thing that is most regretted is the things they wanted to do but didn't.  Imagine you are at the end of your life - What are the things you will most regret if you don't do them?

When was the last time your heart pounded with excitement?         When was the last time you felt your spirit soar?  Living outside of your passions will rob your spirit.  Are you living a lifestyle instead of having a life?  What dream are you not pursuing?  Is there something you secretly long to do?  Change a career, run a marathon or start a family?

What is it that will make you truly happy?  What do you feel passionate about?  Reflect on the following questions:

- What subject can you enjoy talking about for hours?

- What have you had an interest in since you were a child?

- What do you most enjoy doing?

- What activities seem to come natural to you?

- What in your life makes you feel energized?

- What is most important to you in your career?

-What would you do with your time if money were not an issue?

- What is in your life now that you know you love?

- What is in your life now that you know you dislike?

Now, ask yourself, "How can I incorporate more of what I love in my life, while minimizing what I dislike?"  Focus on what is right in your life and how to create more of it.  Think about your gifts, talents and skills that have helped you accomplish the things you already have in your life.  How can you use those strengths now?  Once you open up to the possibility of following your dreams all sorts of ideas and doors will open up to you, if you are receptive. Focus on what you want.  Allow yourself to feel excited about it.  If you focus on what you don't want in life that is exactly what you will get - more of what you don't want. 

Life is filled with choices and opportunities.  You always have the choice to create your life.  Once you decide what your passions are and believe in them you will come up with all sorts of ways to incorporate them in your life.  I once read an essay written by a woman at the end of her life.  What stood out the most to me was that she said she had lived sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day.  She said that she had her moments, but if she had it to do over again, that she would have more of them.  In fact, she said she would try to have nothing else.  If she had it to do over again, she would do what she loved doing every day of her life.   

There is power in recognizing your passions and it acts like a magnet in your life.  Be bold.  Listen to your heart and trust your instincts.  When you choose to live out your passions you will live a life filled with wonder, delight, discovery, fulfillment and deep satisfaction.      

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back - Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:  That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.  All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.  A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.

(Goethe)