Creating the passion and following life’s dreams

By Lionel Wijesiri

Have you ever said to yourself, “If I could just figure out what I’m really passionate about, everything else will take off beautifully”?

When the path is set according to our passion, the joy is immense

If so, you’re not alone. There are millions of people like you. One of the most common stumbling blocks to launching a passion-based life is figuring out what you’re passionate about in the first place. Sadly, many of us go about finding our passion in the wrong way.

The reason is obvious. We’re accustomed to use our minds to analyse, rationalise and figure things out. It’s natural, yet not really correct. Passion cannot be found in your head because it lives in your heart.

And the flames of passion are fanned by engagement, not thought. No matter how hard you try, you cannot figure out your passion by thinking about it. You need to take action and feel your way to the truth, from the inside out.

One of my business friends, who has become a renowned feature writer today, related the story of how he first blundered and finally became what he is today. Long before he stepped foot in the field of freelance feature writing, he often dreamed about writing to the newspapers. However, most of his thoughts went like this:

“Wow…writing professionally to newspapers would be awesome, but you’re too old to get started. Most pros start training when they’re just after their Advanced Levels. You’ve had zero professional training, and you’re already in your thirties. Get real.”

Or, “It sounds exciting, but freelance feature writing as a career is crazy and irresponsible. There’s no money in that. You studied business finance and management, so you should do something more stable and related to what you know.”

The endless and debilitating chatter in his mind tried to talk him out of what his heart is yearning to explore. After two years of struggling, he finally let his heart win the day. The first time his feature story appeared in a daily newspaper, he was thoroughly overjoyed because he felt he was doing the right thing.

No matter how much he had pondered about it before, it wasn’t until he physically took action that his real passion (and gift) for writing fully emerged. And from taking action rather than keeping the thought in his head, he could carve out a niche for himself in the hybrid world of the local national newspapers. The morale of the story: Magic really does start to happen when you follow your heart.

Way forward

So, how do you go about living a passion-driven lifestyle? Start by following these four simple steps:

* Write down your core values (principles and beliefs that you live by)
* Write down what you love to do: hobbies and side projects
* Add your core values to your favourite hobbies and write down what jobs incorporate both
* Pursue careers (or create your own!) that involve both your values and your hobbies (values + hobbies = passion).

Most of us miss this simple formula. It really is that easy; there’s nothing to over-complicate. You can even start by asking a few questions. For example, if you’re in a profession you despise, why are you still there? If your 9-to-5 job is giving you mild to severe depression or anxiety, is it worth holding on to?

Don’t settle for a career that undermines your talents, skills, values and beliefs. A salary may be a means to an end, but it is not worth losing your core identity over.

Experiences

Where would we be now if Edison decided to give up and not create the first incandescent bulb? Where would our technology be in 2013 if Steve Jobs hadn’t founded Apple? If you’re reading this right now on an iPad in a well-lit room, then you get the point.

Don’t give up on your passion for a “smarter” path. That “smart” career might end up buying you every material possession your heart desires, but it won’t buy you happiness. Your time is valuable and deserves to be spent wisely.

If you have to dig that bachelor’s degree out of your closet to remind you what your dreams were during your undergraduate years, dig it out. If it means rummaging in your old files, albums and correspondence to find those action heroes or comic books you admired as a child, do it. Find that microphone, that cape, that journal or that paintbrush. Make an effort to rediscover what you used to love and what used to matter to you. That’s the only real way for you to uncover your core values and beliefs.

Write down your core values (principles and beliefs that you live by)

In June 2005, Steve Jobs took the podium at Stanford Stadium to give the commencement speech to Stanford’s graduating class. Wearing jeans and sandals under his formal robe, Jobs addressed a crowd of 23,000 with a short speech that drew lessons from his life.

About a third of the way into the address, Jobs offered the following advice: You’ve got to find what you love…. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle until you do.

Steve Jobs - a guru of iconoclastic thinking - put his stamp of approval on an immensely appealing piece of popular career advice: The key to occupational happiness is to first figure out what you’re passionate about and then find a job that matches this passion.

Rules

Following your passion is something that you can do. This may come to you at an early age or later on in life. However, following your passion always leads to fulfilment in your life, so pay close attention to how to do this.

Let me give you two simple rules.

No 1 - When following your passion, you must realise that it is the choice that will shape your future. The question you should ask yourself is this: “What would I be doing for the rest of my life, even if I didn’t get paid for it?” The answer will lead you to find out what your true passion is. You also must recondition your subconscious mind, if you were told early on that following your passion is not the right thing to do. This needs patience and follow-through on your part, to make yourself believe that following your passion is actually more fulfilling than otherwise.

No 2 - Experiment with different things. You won’t find your passion by sticking to one thing at first, you must try out different things and make mistakes along the way. Mistakes is how we learn and grow. Feel free to not know what it is you want. This is fine. You are experimenting and that’s better than doing something others tell you to do. Realise that the process of finding out what your passion may be is challenging, but worthwhile in the long term. This may take time, but you will succeed eventually, if you keep yourself focused.

Remember what Confucius proclaimed, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” So find your passion. And, follow a path which is likely to lead you somewhere worth going.