Make It Happen: Blog.

7 Steps to Determine Your True Passion: Steps 6 & 7

Step 6: Confront Failure.

When we do what we are passionate about, we have total confidence in our abilities. This lessens our worry about failing, because in our mind, how can we fail when we do what we love? Doing what you love is a success in and of itself, so permanent failure is impossibility. Temporary failures and mistakes however, are an integral part of the journey towards success. Giving yourself permission to fail is one of the key ingredients to pursuing your passion and not allowing a crisis to become a ruin. Think of something that you do not have second thoughts about doing, something that you feel you must do and that failure is not even a concern of yours, because the mere act of doing it is the journey and the destination all wrapped up in one. When you discover that odds are you have discovered your true passion.

Step 7: Choose The Pain of Discipline Over The Pain Of Regret.

We all have these dreams, and somehow, life has its way of pushing us in another direction, and next thing we know, we aren’t even close to walking in our calling. I firmly believe that life consist of two types of pain: 1) The pain of discipline or 2) The pain of regret. You will encounter one or the other based on your decisions in life. You choose pain today and lessen the chance of regret tomorrow or you pass on discipline today and live a life of regret and unhappiness. If you were at the end of your life, what would you regret not having pursued? It has been said that the greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one. Imagine you are at the end of your life. What would you have liked to do, that you didn’t get a chance to? Think about what that might be. Whatever it is that you may experience regret later on for not having tried is a good chance to be your true passion. There is nothing worse than arriving at the end of the journey and having regret. This is why finding your passion, and following it is so important. Live your life so that you do not have regrets. Don’t’ look back at yesterday only to allow today to pass you by. Dr. Ike Reighard once so eloquently said, “The day our memories are larger than our dreams is the day our soul begins to shrink.” Today is the day for you to make the decision to determine and pursue your passion. People will try to take your dreams away and things will happen around you that may take your eyes off the goal. Just remember this quote from Benjamin Disraeli, “Things that happen to you and around you are insignificant compared to those things that happen within you.” You were born to win so why not start living that way now? Be persistent, keep a never give up attitude, be willing to change internally, be flexible and give yourself the permission to fail along the way. Napoleon Hill said, “Persistence is to a man’s character, as carbon is to steel.” Oh, and one last thing: Be content where you are today. It is okay to continue to improve and grow but learn to be happy in any environment, under any circumstances. Those that are able to do so can endure the ups and downs that accompany the entrepreneurial spirit. I have often said that happiness isn’t having what you want; it is wanting what you have. With that said, I will leave you with these 5 simple rules to assist you in achieving your dream and walking in your calling. May you live, dream and dance all you can while you Make It Happen in your life.

5 rules to memorize in order to achieve your dream and walk in your calling:

1. Take one more step: KEEP MOVING FORWARD
2. When you can’t take one more step, refer to rule number one: NEVER QUIT
3. Change your thinking: DEVELOP A HUNGER FOR YOUR DREAM
4. Change your perspective: SET GOALS
5. Change your work habits: WORK HARD TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE

7 Steps to Determine Your True Passion: Steps 4 & 5

Step 4: Evaluate What You Would Do For Free.

In this society, we are governed by the almighty dollar. Like it or not, that’s the game we have to play. The problem is, this leads many people toward making money first, instead of what makes them happy. Seldom, if ever, have I seen an individual achieve true wealth in pursuit of the dollar over his or her passion. I have encountered and read about countless number of stories of doctors or lawyers for example, leaving their high paying positions to follow what they really love. The reason for that is simple. I truly believe that following what you are passionate about without thinking about it will make you rich in more than money and you will end up being successful. Doing what you have a passion for brings out your best and leads to greatness. The names we quote and look up to in the past are generally known for greatness. Greatness breeds success. Do you think that the most successful people in the world got to where they are doing what they hated to do? Absolutely not, they did what they were so passionate about, and their immense success was just a byproduct of their dedication. So think about something that you would just love to do, even if you were not getting paid. Think about something that you look forward to do, something that you wish you could do all the time if money were not an issue. The answer will bring you closer to your true passion.

Step 5: Review Topics Of Conversation.

The topics of conversation we have can definitely tell what we are interested in, and are a good way to find out what we really enjoy in life. Most of the time, we aren’t totally aware of this. So ask your friends what they believe you like to talk about the most. Ask them what topic makes your eyes brighten up, and changes your entire behavior. Some of their answers may be surprising to you because your friends can see the reaction on your face that you can’t see yourself. Try this very insightful exercise and see if it doesn’t direct you closer to figuring out your passion.

7 Steps to Determine Your True Passion: Steps 2 & 3

• What interest, passion or desire are you most afraid of admitting
  to yourself and others?
• What do you love about yourself?
• Who do you know that’s doing something you’d like to do? Describe
  yourself doing it.
• How could you make the world a better place for yourself and others?
• What’s stopping you from moving forward with exploring your passion?

7 Steps to Determine Your True Passion — Step 1

Step 1: Make A Personal Assessment to Find What Lights Your Fire.

According to a recent survey, about 75% of the population do not know what their true passion is. Clearly, very few are happy in their present work. This is an eye-opener because doing what we really love is absolutely necessary if we want a fulfilling life. This discovery may very well be why there is so much unhappiness going on in our world today, people just aren’t doing what they were called to do. Finding your true passion isn’t as simple as it may seem. For some, it does come naturally, but most of the time, you have to ask a series of questions as well as experience potential failures to pinpoint exactly what you were born to do.

• Is there a particular event, a particular topic that really lights your fire?
• What are the first words that come to your mind when you think about passion?
• What does your search engine bar reveal? (Many times we search in our leisure time those things we are most passionate about)
• Whatever it is that makes you smile, and makes you happy whenever you are in the midst of it is a sign of something you are truly passionate about.

I personally believe that happiness and passion walk hand in hand. Both require each other. So following what makes you truly happy is a wonderful way to figuring out what you were called to do. Think about something that you do or that perhaps you used to do that brings total peace, happiness and joy. Peace is happiness, happiness is passion and joy is the experience of living a fulfilled life.

Nothing But Good News Magazine – page 30