Forget About Passion. Focus On Purpose.
Anyone else tired of hearing the importance of finding your passion?!! I think those of us in the health & wellness area are doing a dis-service to others by constantly and purportedly shouting about how important finding your passion in life is. BS.
Now, I do believe it IS wonderful if you are one of us humans who have a specific passion in life, but for many of us, we just don’t and never have. I often felt I was doing something wrong or I was flawed because I couldn’t figure out what my passion was…I mean, I heard over and over I should have one and if I didn’t, I was really missing out. Super frustrating for me for many years.
Until one day I realized that purposeful living actually was bringing me immence joy. So I started doing some research on passion and on purpose. After lots of reading and feedback from clients I was working with, purpose was the hand-down winner of joy and meaning-bringer.
Finding your passion is counterintuitive to living life. Life is about “not knowing” and then doing something anyway. There is an assumption that when you “find your passion” all of life becomes easy and happy and falls into place. Also not true.
Creating purpose in your life actually brings meaning, more joy, and more life-satisfaction. And here’s the best part: you can take action to create it. You don’t have to go finding it. Purpose is about turning your current responsibilities into purposeful actions that matter, and then doing that again and again.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Do something kind for someone else. Being altruistic on purpose will begin to bring you thoughts and feelings of purpose.
Think verbs like studying, reading, walking, loving, caring, working, playing…. Taking action on things like this begins to bring more thoughts and feelings of purpose.
Think adverbs like compassionately, skillfully, thoughtfully, respectfully, lovingly, dazzlingly, wisely, willingly. Living in these ways creates more thoughts and feelings of purpose.
You get to choose your purpose. You don’t have to go looking for it. You don’t have to change what you’re already doing. If you give haircuts to people, you can decide your purpose in life is to help others feel beautiful. If you manage a bank, you can decide your purpose is to create a safe and inspiring space for your employees. Purpose can be found in everything you are already doing.
And that’s the beauty in living a purposeful life. You don’t have to go searching, you don’t have to worry about not feeling “passionate” about something. Nothing is wrong with you. Focus living your current life on a purposeful route and you will find all the meaning & joy life has to offer.