I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
– Albert Einstein
Multi-passionate. It’s a gift and a curse at the same time. I know because I’m multi-passionate and most of my life I didn’t understand the benefit of it. As a child, I didn’t have an answer to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I had 10. As I grew and experienced more that answers grew too.
To the outside non-multi-passionate world it can look like non-committal, to a girl who didn’t get being multi-passionate it equated to fleeting happiness. Here’s why. I’d get into something, throw myself into it then I’d feel the pull to focus on another passion, throw myself into to it. You get the gist.
To someone who’s multi-passionate it feels like a constant pull in different directions. The pull to do, be, have and experience many things. This pull is innate its part of who we are. There’s no changing it or denying it and the pressure to change leads to unhappiness.
In society, there’s a spoken and sometimes unspoken (depending on who you’re with) rule that says “commit and stick it out, no matter what”. Great, if you’re a single passion kind of person, but it doesn’t work for us multi-passionate people. The only way around it is finding a way to weave multiple passions into what we do and find space for the rest.
So how do we weave multiple passions into what we do? Here’s how I did it and what I discovered along the way.
- I stopped trying to pick one. I stopped trying to find my “1” special gift I could give the world. I accepted I have various passions and I just need one vehicle to deliver them in.
- I got crystal clear on my strengths. I took the StrengthsFinder® test. I realized that one of my strengths was the starting of things, jumping in. I learn by doing. This helped me understand my passions better. I love the beginning of building businesses. I’m not a procrastinator. Hence, to others it may appear like I’m jumping around but I do the things others only think about. I learn that it’s not for me by doing it.
- I accept that there’s a bigger calling for my life and that my passions were going to serve as the drive, excitement, and motivation to deliver that calling to the world.
- I listed my passions and got clear on my purpose. I made a list of all the things I’m interested in and all the things the world needs. I narrowed down and married the two.
- I thought a lot about what broke my heart and continues to break my heart. I found my greater calling.
- I began living outside the box. Sometimes we can take what we’re good at and put it inside a box. Ex: I’m gifted at empathetically listening to people’s struggles and knowing what they need to hear to open them up to growth and healing.
Because of that, I pursued my Masters in Counseling. But having the degree kept me stuck in a place of, “if I’m not doing this as a career I have failed that part of me”. When in fact, I never needed the degree to fulfill and pursue that gift. It’s only a vehicle to deliver the gift.
Here’s what I came up with.
I’m interested in or passionate about health, fitness, travel, self-care, healing emotional pain, spirituality, intuition, entrepreneurship, writing, counseling, nature.
I think the world needs love, care, support, trust, peace, joy, and faith in one’s self and each other.
What breaks my heart? When unconditional love is withheld.
I looked into my list of passions and I grouped ones that could go together. Ex: writing, entrepreneurship, self-love, counseling, healing, intuition.
Then I noticed the correlation between what the world needs and what continues to break, and with further reflection, I discovered my purpose.
With my foundation of purpose and my blended list of passions, I just needed a vehicle to deliver it to the world.
A business. An outside the box business where I use my passions, fulfill my purpose and fulfill a need and deliver more love to the world.
When you lead with purpose, passion, and love for the world your return is this:
- You’ll stand out because it’s uniquely you.
- You’ll have impactful reach because it draws in people who need exactly who you are.
- It’ll be world changing because you realized your reason for being.
- It’ll feel exciting because it includes more of who you are.
Unique. Unboxed. Multi-passionate. Gifted. You.
How many passions do you love to chase?
Oh, my! I can SO relate to this and am SUPER happy to have stumbled across your post! Thanks a mill for sharing. All the very best with everything x
Charley,
So glad it resonated with you. Thank you for sending me a message! Have a blessed week.
i have many passions. Often ppl tell me to grow up, to get serious but I like life this way and I do take all these things serious enough to keep developing and being inspired. my constant hunger brings me to wonderful places, meeting all types of people. I love it.
Yes! Fenne never listen to others judgments about how you should be. Keep on being you. Listening to the noise of others leads you off your true path.
Have a blessed week!
Literally the story of my life! I cannot express to you how many times I’ve gone through in my head thinking that something was wrong with me.
I’ve learned through experience that I don’t have to have just one passion. Just like I am multifaceted, my interests can be as well.
It’s important to remember to stay true to who you are and not get so hung up on finding your one single passion in life. It might just be you have many. And that’s pretty awesome!
Leeor, I love to hear you’ve embraced this awesome side of YOU. We aren’t here to fit in we’re here to standout. Keep on standing out being YOU.
hi there, I found the work of Barbara Sher – about Scanners to be very helpful for multi-talents and passions. As multi is only useful if we actually get to the point of delivery, not starting loads of things and not finishing them!
Yes. I learned to group my combinable multi’s together within my business to make my life extra interesting. Anything left outside of the group I keep just for me to play and have fun outside of business.
Important to remember that not all passions are meant to be businesses some are just for fun.
Wow, I can really relate to this!!!! Thank you so for sharing. This is something about me that I’ve always noticed but I guess never really thought or realized other people may struggle with this too. Your post was very inspiring to me, especially being a young person trying to figure things out. It seems like people are constantly pressuring me to make up my mind and pick something and go to college and do it, which is always impossible because I love doing so many things and it’s hard to decide on just one. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who struggles with this and that there IS a way to combine all my passions and do something that will make me ultimately truly happy. Thank you!
Micheal! Way to go. I love to hear that you’re thinking differently at a younger age. My strongest advice to the younger me would be. Do it all, try it, test it, build it. We learn by doing it not thinking about it. The dots will connect looking back. Don’t listen to the peanut gallery. Don’t allow the “you should do this”, “why aren’t you doing that”, “why didn’t you finish that” to sink into core. Get great at recognizing your intuition early, seek advice and courses if necessary. That voice (intuition) is the only advice to truly consider.
You ARE NOT here to be like anyone else. Do not aim to fit in.
Keep being you.
I often hear about people telling others that the only way to truly enjoy what you are doing is to find your passion and pursue it. While this may work in some scenarios, it doesn’t work in them all.
Let me give you a personal example. My passion is to draw but it is not my calling in life. Believe me when I tell you that I have made countless attempts to make it my calling but none stuck. I began to ask why?
Much like put it Kristen, the answer was because drawing doesn’t break my heart. Drawing, does not make my heart weep and drawing doesn’t tap into what it is that drives me.
If you are not connect emotionally to whatever it is you wish to pursue, I can tell you with near 100% certainty that it will not last forever. Whatever you do must, and I cannot emphasize that enough, must tug your heart strings. It must wake you up in the morning invigorated and ready to take on the world. Passion alone cannot do this.
Joel,
Amen to that! What breaks your heart has a lot to do with your higher purpose too.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I agree with Erica. For multi passionate people who want to know how to weave a life with all their passions, buy Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher. Truly inspirational. I cried just reading the sleeve!! She says we are great (and smart) just as we are and should celebrate. In the old days we were highly valued as multi talented until they put someone on the moon and suddenly specialists were more valued. Thanks for your post! Reminded me to value myself.
Emma,
Thanks for the book suggestion! I wish I had it to read in College. (but truthfully I wouldn’t of read it back then.)
Suffering was my teacher.
thanks again!
Kudos to you Kristen and thank you! I’m glad I was able to read your post.
It gave me direction how to embrace being multi-passionate instead of picking my #1 gift which most of my friends told me to do so. I am passionate about personal development, website development, finance, entrepreneurship, writing, travel, and being one with nature. With the StrengthsFinder® test results given to me by my previous employer and the list of my passion, I can totally relate to your post!
Now, I can further discover myself! Thanks!
Cristian, I’m so glad you found it helpful. Best wishes on your journey into yourself.