Typically when we think about passion we also think about the heart. It is in our hearts we hold our deepest desires and passions. Pursuing these desires, we believe, will lead us to the happiness, success and fulfillment we really want. To acknowledge your passion is to live your life’s purpose and to live your heart’s true desire.
First of all, it’s important to understand you can achieve whatever you want; you can be the person you were meant to be; and you really can live the life you want to live. This is not hype or speculation – this is a fact if you choose for it to be a fact. Use passion as the tool to pull out of your heart the one thing that defines and represents who you truly are.
If passion is the key to living the life we want, why are so few of us doing this? In a word, conditioning. We are conditioned by experiences learned as a child or by the self-limiting tapes we play in our heads which tell us we are not entitled, or worthy, to live the life we desire. You may want to consider replacing those old tapes with some new ones.
We allow others things and other people to have control over us. We ignore the tugging of our hearts when we know we are heading in a direction that is contrary to our heart’s desire. You do have more control than you may think. You can decide if something is working for you, or it is not. Allow your passion to be your compass and use your spirit to begin moving in other directions.
One complication of living a life of passion is the confusing message it sometimes sends. Often when we are younger we feel passion for acquiring materials things such as a car, a house, or an impressive job title at work. The issue becomes when these items are accomplished, but our hearts are still empty and thirst for something more. The tugging begins. We sometimes feel discouraged and perhaps a little jaded. Confusion and apathy may set in and start to derail our progress. We don’t feel happy, successful or fulfilled. The question becomes “Why did I bust my butt so much in the first place?”
Don’t be discouraged, this doesn’t mean you didn’t have passion, it just means you were not following the true desire of your heart. To find your heart’s true desire is a very simple process. Make a list of things you want to be or want to accomplish. Be honest with yourself. This is your list and is not meant to be shared with any one. Pour your heart and soul into this list. The one item that jumps off the list and makes your begin to cry is your passion.
Follow this, honor it and never get up on it. Your job in the beginning is not to try to figure out why this one has touched you so deeply. Your job is stay with it and see where it takes you. The final destination will be one of great relief, comfort and accomplishment. Don’t give up and don’t give in – keep listening to your heart and allow it to take you where it needs to take you. Your happiness will be on the other side.
Alex Blackwell is the author of The Next 45 Years - a website dedicated to sharing and creating happiness, life balance and success for the rest of our lives. To read more inspirational stories and articles, please visit: http://www.thenext45years.blogspot.com