Follow your passion. How many times have we heard that? When we do, life changes and we radiate joy and enthusiasm for what we are passionate about. If you are passionate about life or something in particular, you can relate to these 15 things which only you can understand.
1. You don’t need motivation.
I know a woman who gets up at 5.a.m to help the homeless people in her city. This daily action of helping and giving back to the less fortunate represents her core values. She does not need to seek motivation as her guiding principles are never in question.
2. You know all about opening doors.
One passion leads to more opportunities. When you are passionate about a job, a hobby, a holiday or volunteering, the doors they open up are truly amazing. A passion can become your career or make a relationship bloom. The great thing is that when one part of your life is full of passion you are not going to take second best in all the other parts.
3. You are prepared to take risks.
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” – William Faulkner
People who are not passionate are always on the look out for guarantees. A loan officer at a bank will rarely give out a loan to someone who is following his passion. But you know that once you have done your homework and have been diligent, there comes the moment to take that risk. Taking that leap of faith is often the doorway to even more success and happiness.
4. You have laser focus.
You know that spreading your time and talents over too many things may distract you from the number one passion. That gives you a laser focus and you are prepared to miss out on some enjoyable things to make that happen. Robert Sternberg, Past President of the American Psychological Association talks about his laser focus in getting home to be with his toddler triplets but not doing so until he has written a set number of chapters for new book. Being passionate helps him to deliver on his strategy of getting his priorities right.
“You have to decide what your priorities are and say, ‘I’m going to make it happen’—and then just make it happen.”- Robert Sternberg.
5. You are surrounded by other passionate people.
You know only too well how to avoid toxic people who whine, complain and are generally negative. Surrounding yourself with other passionate people gives you even more inspiration. The joy of interacting and sharing with them is truly priceless.
6. You are not afraid of failure.
One of the great challenges passionate people face is that it will not always be plain sailing. Look at the sports champions who have to overcome lost matches and injuries. They have to keep going and it is their passion that drives them on, in spite of many failures.
7. You look for solutions.
An obstacle is not a roadblock. It is merely a difficulty along the way and can provide you with solutions. Passionate people are always on the lookout for solutions, ways to improve, faster delivery, or streamlined processes. You name it – you are on the job.
8. You see the beauty of other people.
You are the one who homes in on the amazing qualities of the people around you. You know that your partner is just a superb person or that your parents are truly unique. You know how to see people’s great qualities and that is so important in keeping your own passion thriving.
9. You cannot persuade everyone to be like you.
Another challenge passionate people face is that not everybody around you will understand why or how your passion is driving you. They are often not on the same wavelength at all so you have to put up with being a little lonely at times. The best solution is to get busy and not dwell on that too much.
10. You cannot sleep.
The downside of having this searing passion when you wake up is that your sleep tends to suffer. It is hard to let go and stop thinking about what gives your life its purpose. It really is hard to switch off at times.
11. You have to put up with jealousy.
Not everyone you meet or work with will understand why you are so passionate about your projects. They are the ones who have settled into their rather dull comfort zones. They will never understand what it is like to go all out and reach their potential. You can expect some jealousy or envy on their part but that will never discourage you.
12. You love your job.
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
Do what you love doing in your job may sound like Utopia for many of us. This is where passionate people have triumphed because you have found your passion points and been able to develop them so that you can do your job with great enthusiasm and excitement. If you still have not found your passion, exploit your interests and take some courses, whether it is in web design or creative writing.
13. You read a lot.
“I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book.” – Groucho Marx
Whatever your passion, you will need to be fully informed. Networking and chatting are useful but nothing will beat reading extensively about your passion. But also reading about everything that interests you will make you more knowledgeable, reflective and successful.
14. You have daily goals.
You wake up early because you have so much to do. In addition, you have decided what is important to achieve to-day and you usually have a few top priorities which are going to help you succeed. You can see exactly where they fit in with your long term goals.
15. You can cope with the voices in your head.
Another difficulty passionate people have to face is the voices from loved ones they keep hearing in their heads, especially if there is danger involved. Let us imagine your passion is scuba diving. Yes, there are risks but you have done all the training and you have enough experience now to dive alone. You can silence those voices you keep hearing about “what if?” by just reminding yourself that these are not your fears, but those of your loved ones. They do not realize how much you love what you are doing.
How can passionate people make great things happen? I think it is because they feel so fulfilled in doing a wonderful job and above all because they love what they do.