We’ve all heard “Just follow your passion!” If only it were that easy when it came to your career. We would all love to--if only we knew exactly what our passion was.
But before you follow your passion, you have to find it.
If you’re feeling a little lost, here are some ways to help spark your creativity and help you discover what you actually want to do with your life. This process requires a lot of reflection, so take your time. It will only help you get closer to your goal.
First, Keep an Open Mind.
If you believe that you will never find something you are passionate about, then you will make that your reality. You have to have the right perspective and keep an open to all the different possibilities that are out there for you. In order to have something you are passionate about, you have to believe that it is out there for you to find.
One of the best ways to keep your perspective on the right track, you have to surround yourself with people who have found their own. How many of your friends or family have found something that they are truly passionate about? Find someone who is, and ask them how they got there. Use them as your inspiration.
Next, it’s Time to Brainstorm.
Now that you believe your passion is out there, it’s time to reflect on what you love to do. Look back on your life, and see what your experiences that pop out most to you all have in common.
Make a list of all the important factors that you believe have influenced your life in a positive manner, and go from there. Don’t let the artificial moments block the pure ones.
Now, Look for the Common Thread.
At first glance, this might be difficult. Your list is from all different parts of your life, and what could they possibly have in common? Take a second glance, and think: “How could I construct a career from all of these? What is the common thread? How can all of these different events fit together?”
You Have to Differentiate Hobbies from Passions.
Your list may include some activities that you truly love to do--something that makes you feel happy and cause your face to light up. But at these, you have to ask yourself, “Who would benefit and pay for this?”
If you want your passion to make a positive impact on your community and to make money from it at the same time, you need to be realistic about whether you can turn it into a career. You need to think about whether this is something that you love to do versus it just being fun.
Make sure to NOT Make Money a Priority.
If you want to start a career on something you love, you cannot make money your primary concern. If you do factor in how much money could be earned, you will definitely limit your options of what your true passion could be.
Be Prepared for Rebellion.
When looking for your passion, there will be rebellion. We all have fears--whether it is about failure, success or vulnerability. There will be a million little voices in our head telling us that we should not be doing what we love. But if you let those voices win, your passion may stay hidden. Face those fears head on. Address those voices. Convince them that it is your right path.
Lastly, Be Brave.
“Leap and the net will appear”: with each step into the unknown, you have to have faith that things will fall into place. In order to be committed to your happiness, you have to be brave. You never know whose lives could be touched by your pursuit of your passion, and that could be a beautiful thing.