 Do you remember a time when you found a sunrise so magical that you’d willingly get up before dawn and drive to a special “viewing” place? Why is that as we get older we tend to neglect the things that make us feel alive?
When we are young we happily express our creative side. We pick favourite subjects, develop hobbies, and generously give time to causes that touch our hearts. But then it’s time to “pick a major,” “get a real job,” “settle down,” and “be sensible.” No more time for doing what we love - and all too often, that’s the beginning of the end of passion and the energy it generates. We work for a living, act mature on weekends, and soon begin to wonder if old interests are “worth the bother.”
Then, one day, we notice that we’re not bounding out of bed in the morning and no longer feeling the joy of yesteryear. Something seems to be shrivelling up inside. It’s hard to describe. We long for meaning, and love and simple delights. In short, we want to feel fully ALIVE. But we’ve been doing what we “should” for so long, we’re not sure how to get the old spark back.
Suzanne Zoglio, Ph.D., psychologist and motivational speaker, has a unique way of helping people find their passion. The author of Create A Life That Tickles Your Soul (named “Outstanding Book of the Year” and “Most Life-Changing” in the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2000) offers four tips for getting your life in sync. But first, here’s a quiz to assess your present level of passion.
Assess your passion
Are you living a life that’s aligned with your inner desires? Or are you in need of a passion tune-up, like so many folks today? To find out, answer “yes” or “no” to the items below:
• Do you ever wonder if you’re wasting the best parts of you?
• Do you feel a bit stuck and unable to change your life?
• Are you unsure about what you’d like to do next in your life?
• Would you like to give back somehow, but feel uncertain of how?
• Does your life seem uninspired, too much of “same old?”
What’s your passion score?
Add up your “No” answers, and check below for your passion profile. Then read on to see what you can do to fall in love with life all over again.
- 5 points: Good for you! Your energy is high; your life is full of passion!
- 3-4 points: OK, you’re headed the right way, but have some aligning to do.
- 1-2 points: Yikes! Your life is out of sync with your core desires. Time to rev up.
Four tips to rev up your passion
When you’re using your special talents in the service of others in a way that you truly enjoy, you’ll know it. Your energy will soar, your joy will expand, and you’ll feel the passion bubbling up from your core. Here are four strategies for reaching that zestful – “isn’t life grand” - state!
1. Embrace whatever brings you joy - If your passion for life has dimmed of late, you could be suffering from JDS (joy-deficit syndrome). Perhaps you’ve shifted from an abundance mentality (“I’m really blessed and know I will always have enough to survive”) to a scarcity mentality (“I could lose everything in a flash and die”). Now I’m not suggesting that you abandon responsible financial planning, but I am suggesting that you enjoy whatever is available to you at the moment. Focus less on storing up for probable depletion and more on the bounty at your fingertips. Indulge in natural highs like running or watching a winter sunrise. Treat yourself to little indulgences like chocolate or a special tea. Schedule in that fishing trip, round of golf, or massage. Make more “dates” with people you really enjoy and stay away from those you don’t. Listen to music that lifts you up. Read books that fill you with hope. Watch TV and movies that make you laugh and take classes that excite your mind. Embrace anything that will help you say at the end of each day, “Life is good. I’m glad to be alive.”
2. Use your talent - What have you been “naturally” drawn to all of your life? Numbers, selling, motorcycles, language, drawing, building things, gardening, science, or problem solving? What activity never seems like work and always gives you energy? What pursuit engages you so fully that whenever you do it time seems to fly? Perhaps your “talent” is also your livelihood. Perhaps it’s an avocation. Whichever, pursue it. Develop it, share it, apply it, and honour its uniqueness. We are each especially good at something and that something is usually what we consider “play.” Therefore it sometimes gets put aside and under-utilized. That’s when we sense something is dying inside. If you’re not using the best parts of you at work, consider what you can do that’s new. Out of work, paint pictures for friends, join a community choir, or set up a small business on the side. Use your talents today so years from now you can look back and say, “I have no regrets. I was a good steward of the gifts I was given.”
3. Make a difference - Few things rev up one’s passion for life more than knowing that you have brought joy or health, peace, or information to someone else. When you are part of something bigger than yourself, the energy you expend seems to return to your door in larger quantities. You help a neighbour and your own world looks brighter. You work for world peace and your own life feels more stable. You bottle the pills that keep people alive and feel a rush of pride. Use your life in purposeful ways and you have the answer to the question that concerns so many of us: “Why am I here?”
4. Align these three for peaks of passion - People who are able to align all three of these areas use their talent to benefit others in ways that they truly enjoy – and say their lives feel blissfully in sync. So, today, make it a point to fall in love with your life all over again!
Making it practical
• What peak moments have you experienced over the last few years, when you felt grateful, energetic, useful, or full of joy? Did those moments have anything in common?
• What is one “free” treat you’d enjoy today?
• What creative talent have you been “sitting on” for a while? How could you express it even if just for yourself?
• How could you use something you love to do to benefit others?
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