PURSUING YOUR PASSION

You have been created by God with different and unique abilities.  Your ability has a tremendous amount of value.  Passion is the key to releasing your ability to recognize that value.

"Your Passion is the 'inner wealth' that God has given you that must be discovered, and lived to produce external wealth."

Some people are fortunate enough to be in a career where they pursue  their passion each and every day. These are the people who love going to work. Let's face it. If you hate what you're doing all day, it's tough  to have a positive attitude.

For the purpose of this article, I'm concentrating on areas where you take an active role. For example, you could be passionate about watching sports as a spectator, but that's not what I'm getting at. I'm asking  you to identify opportunities where you can participate. It doesn't have  to be something where you work up a sweat. You could collect stamps or  coins or comic books. You could study art history and visit museums.

You could write a book. Only you know what gets your juices flowing. I know what some of you are thinking. You're saying to yourself, "I know what my passion is, but it would be unrealistic for me to pursue it right now. I have a mortgage to pay. I have to help support my family. It's just not possible for me to quit my job and do what I love."  Rest assured, I'm NOT suggesting that you act irresponsibly. You don't  have to quit your job to pursue your passion. Lots of people use this  as an excuse. The truth is, you can treat your passion as a hobby at the outset. That's what I did. I loved motivational materials so much that I started to think about how I could share this information with others. All I knew was that I was passionate about this material and wanted  to do something with it. I was still a practicing attorney at the time. I was also someone who never took risks, who always played it safe. I certainly didn't see how  I could work this into my life. Then I got an adult education catalog in the mail at home, describing night courses being given at the local high school. In the back of the catalog, there was a page that said, "Are you interested in teaching a course? If so, let us know your area of expertise and send us an outline." I submitted an outline, and much to my surprise, I got a call that the outline was approved and my class would start in a few months. Since the course was at night, I was able to teach after working my regular day job as an attorney. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and it opened up a whole new world for me. I'm not telling you this story to pat myself on the back. The point here is this: you can keep working at your regular job and still follow your passion. I actually treated my passion a hobby for five years while phasing out my legal career.

I'm guessing most of you have a passion you're not following right now. Maybe you want to be a writer. Maybe you'd like to sing, perform in a band, or do stand-up comedy. Perhaps you have talent working with your hands or you're a great cook with some unique recipes. You just know that when you think about, speak about or actually do this activity, you feel passionately alive. Time seems to pass quickly. You're completely absorbed and in the moment.

I think every person comes to this earth with special talents to express. You have talents that you bring to the table and you express that talent in a way that nobody else does. You feel positive, fulfilled and happy when you express the talent and you feel like "something is missing" when you refuse to engage in that activity and keep ignoring it.

Nature does not give you the desire to do something that you don't have the ability to do. You have the desire to purse this passion because it is something you were meant to develop - and more often than not, when you develop this talent and express it, you're going to make a positive contribution to the lives of others as well.

Following my passion led to a career change. But that isn't the case with everyone. You can have lots of fun and enjoyment pursuing your passion while remaining in your current line of work. In fact, you'll find that your enthusiasm carries over to your full-time job. That's why I keep saying that you don't have to quit your job. Put that excuse to bed. Find some way to do what you love. Take the time you've been watching TV or reading the negative articles in the newspaper and re-allocate it to pursuing your passion.

By the way, just because you're passionate about doing something doesn't mean you'll be able to do it well right away. In most instances, you have to develop the talent, and be willing to face your fears.

I had a passion for communicating motivational ideas, but at the beginning I had no experience in public speaking. I had to develop that talent over a period of years. I also had to learn to improve my writing skills. The same is true with you. Here again, don't use the excuse that you're not good enough to pursue your particular passion. If you love to sing, but you think you're not good enough, take singing lessons. Sing badly at the beginning, but SING!

When you follow your passion, you'll be much more positive and excited about your life. That will transfer over into other activities as well. And you'll be amazed at how opportunities open up for you. I'm not saying your passion is guaranteed to make you a lot of money. It may, but then again it may not. In any case, don't have money as your primary focus. You'll be a happier, more fulfilled person when you follow your passion. And, take it from me, it's a decision you will never regret, and it will do wonders for your attitude.