What is passion?
“How do I find my passion and how do I know what it is?” This is a question that I get a lot when talking about the topic of passion. I have done a post about what I think passion is and what my passion is and that might give a little contact to this post! So with that out of the way, here is what I think might help you find your passion!
I believe that everyone is passionate about something and it is something discovered within you and not something that is found. Yes trying new things might trigger an existing excitement within you and energise you. So that brings me to my first point to discover your passion especially when you get stuck.
Try something new and DO IT
Keep trying something new. Try and research different things. I find myself trying out a few different things like water Color, tee shirt printing, writing, illustration and even sculpting. But taking a step back and looking at it, I am going in the directions of visual art. I would never give know if I stuck to what I am trained in, which is business and Human Resources.
But it is not enough to just find something new to do. You need to be hands-on and TRY it. Reason for that, it might sound really good in your brain but once you start doing it, things might change very fast.
I thought I would like to make handmade candles until I made my first candle in the office. When hot wax started flowing everywhere and I am getting my fingers burnt and ended up with a hot gloppy mess, and I ended up getting so tired from all the cleaning and got even more confused over what happened, that’s is when I realized, maybe not. Does it mean I will not go back into candle making? No, it is just not right for me right now given the time constraints I have.
Stop trying to be perfect
This is something I need to keep reminding myself, especially after the candle episode. It sucks to fail. But having a gloppy mess is always better than not trying it at all. I am a perfectionist and it takes the fun out of many things I do. When I paint, I get very anxious every time I mix the colors wrong. But knowing to catch yourself and getting back into the position of exploring instead of performing or producing will help with the anxiety.
I still remind myself that getting good at something Is a process and not an event. So enjoy the process and stop trying to be perfect, it is supposed to be an activity that energizes you and not wear you down remember?
If you are a person who wants to improve fast, one thing that helped me on a daily basis is the motto of being “1% better every single day”. That helps to break the mountain into smaller chunks. One of my
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!
What would you want to learn and take a course on?
This question is very helpful to pinpoint the direction or subject you are interested in.
Recently I had coffee with a friend I had not seen for a while. We were at a coffee place and again the topic of passion came up. He has been working in a bank and enjoyed his work. But as he rose the ranks, he started to take over portfolios that he has no interest in, and all of a sudden, he started dreading going to work even though he has a paycheck that makes my eyes green with envy.
“So what do you like to do?” I asked. He had no idea but what caught my attention was how excited he was when telling me about the cafe were going. And the way he was telling the barista exactly how he wanted his coffee while I ordered my Americano with cream.
So logically, my question to him was, “have you taken any class in coffee-related stuff? Like latte art, roasting coffee or even coffee blending?” I saw him lit up. It might sound like an obvious route that he would have seen himself but sometimes, when one is stressed at work, the last thought would be something enjoyable. Considering what you might want to study in or take a course in, might help you find your passion
But that being said, this is an important note!
Passion does not have to take over or replace your full time job!!
I have written a post about jumping into your passion full time, how I did it, as well as some things you need to think through first before making that move,
Who do I look up to?
I have always looked up to urban Painters. Where they just grab all their art gear and sit by a lake (there are not many pretty lakes in Singapore
We will only look up to and sometimes, even be jealous of someone who is doing something you always wanted to do. Eg, if you don’t have a passion for teaching, you will not be jealous of the person who won the best teaching award this year. Heck, you might not even know who they are! That’s because that’s not what you are interested in and it does not energize you!!
So noticing who you look up to might point you in a direction when trying to find your passion. I look up to motivational coaches a lot! Be it Mel Robbins, Jairek Robbins, Nick Vujicic,
Go to the book store
What section do you head straight to when you go into popular, Kinokuniya?
Manga? Maybe be story telling excites you?
Photography? Duhh
Sports and wellness? Maybe health and fitness is your jam!
Mine is always stationaries! I am just strange.
So take notice where you end up mindlessly sometimes. Your subconscious knows what excites you. That’s where you find your passion
Don’t be afraid to move on if you fail or find something else.
I like to watch people play games but I suck at it. I CAN NEVER PRESS THE RIGHT BUTTONS. You do not have to pursue everything you are interested in. But at least give it a try. You can still enjoy it without having to pursue it.
Stop giving yourself excuses
A wise businessman I look up to very much said before “If you want something, don’t let anything get in the way of what you want.” If I want to have enough money to buy supplies for my art, I better make sure I earn the money somewhere.
Stop giving yourself excuses cos at the end of the day, you answer only to yourself and no one else. Love yourself enough to at least try.
Last words before this entry become too long, you can not try and wonder for the rest of your life if you could have found enjoyment in areas in life you did not explore, or you can be happy knowing you have been adventurous enough to try, that you had the balls to start.
Passion is the energy you feel when you are excited. It’s like the childlike wonder you had when you first tried something.
Hope this post encourages you and point you in the right direction as you find your passion in life. Remember to follow the energy cos that’s what passion is, something that energizes and excites you.
And I want to tell you that you are precious and that you have great things coming your way once you take that tiny step to listen inwards and not look outwards in the pursuit of passion. It is in you all these while you just need to listen.
Love, Samantha
