Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.
– Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
I grew up wanting to become a writer but was discouraged from choosing that career path because according to those around me it wasn’t worth my time nor could I earn a living writing. I guess nobody believed in me. I listened to them, went on to become an accountant, a marketing executive, a business owner, and still, I was always thinking about going back to my first passion.
It took me twenty years before I even thought of going back to writing seriously. I grew accustomed to working in other areas and even though I enjoyed the life they afforded me my first love was writing. I enjoy telling stories and believe me I have lots to tell.
I was afraid because I felt to do what I love I had to give up what I had grown accustomed to. Being comfortable in a position that is not right can be very dangerous. Even though I was miserable, I had gotten accustomed to a miserable existence.
When I finally decided to take a chance, I was scared half to death but knew it was now or never. The thoughts in my mind were filled with dread. I began second guessing myself. I was afraid to fail. I was afraid others would never want to hear what I had to say.
I started writing daily, a paragraph at a time, and even though I felt it was terrible, I kept going. The voices in my head were the worse. I would not allow myself critique to discourage me. The constant barrage of self-doubt was often too difficult to bear.
I do not consider myself a writer, at least not yet, but, I believe if I continue to work at it I will become better. I refuse to continue to ignore my dream while working to make everyone’s dream a reality.
Like me, there are so many people out there living dreams that are not their own. They have spent their lives building other people’s dreams while their dream is being ignored.
Take the time to renew your passion. The passion that will make you fight for your dream when everything else says quit. That desire will make you sacrifice everything to make your dream a reality.
Unfortunately, not all of us find our passion in life. Some of us just go through life frustrated and unhappy working at dead-end jobs. I am here to tell you that to truly live your life to the fullest you need to find what it is you are passionate about and do it.
Here are a seven practices I found useful in finding my passion:
1. Find something that you love to do.
If you haven’t tried to find what it is you are passionate about it might take you some time. Take whatever time is necessary to find what you enjoy doing and that you could do for the rest of your life even if you weren’t being paid. That thing that makes you happy when you think about it. “My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Maya Angelou
2. Do your research
Once you think you have found what it is you are passionate about, take some time to do some research on how to excel at it. Find material that might be updated or even change to make going after your passion easier and more likely to be successful.
3. Get advice
Before investing all your energies into your dream get advice from people you respect and love or people who are in the field. Getting some sound advice will save you lots of frustration, long hours, and pitfalls.
4. Never give up
No matter what or how difficult things get make a promise to yourself that you will not give up on your dreams. There will be times when things are not going well, work hard until you realize your dream. Practice makes improvement. The more you work at it, the better you become. There will be setbacks, but that is when you need to dig in deeper and work harder.
5. Be patient
Even though you are now doing something you love, and you are very passionate about it, it will take the time to bear fruit. You must be patient and allow your dream to grow and mature. You can never achieve your passion if you are impatient.
6. Never settle
Once you have found, your passion never settle for second best again. Your dream will become your life-long career. You will have to work at it until it becomes fruitful, and you can support yourself doing it.
7. Keep practicing
It doesn’t matter how much you love what you are doing you will need to improve on your skills. Keep practicing until you have mastered all aspect of it and when you are through, start again. When you truly love what you do, you will want to be the best at it. You will never stop until you are at the highest point of the game.
We all have dreams and aspirations, but only a few take the time to find their passion and go after it. Make this the day when all that will change for you. Go after your dream. The time will never be right to do it so start doing it today.
If you fail, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all again. You must never have a quitter attitude when going after your passion. People who are passionate about their dreams never give up until they have realized their dreams and then they work on making sure they keep what they have fought for so long and now have achieved. You too can be that person living your dream if you make the commitment to go after your passion today.
Photo by Laura Crowhurst
I am a huge advocate for following passions and changing pour lives to become more happy and fulfilled. It is a shame that so little people do that, because of that paralysing fear of failure. So I wanted to acknowledge you for doing it on your own and wish you all the best !
Great article Rose. So true in what you stated in the essay. I consider myself still searching
for what I have a true passion for. Until you find it, you can’t have total happiness in what you do
in life. I have made great strides in achieving this, Your article is informative and inspirational.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks Bcollins. Keep searching until you find your passion. When you do you will know it and be happy you did take the time to find out more about you.
Thank you so much Lady Rhinoa. It took many years and lots of sacrifice. I had to get to a place where I had to look myself in the eye and ask myself those very serious questions. The choice I then made was to go after my passion with everything I had. it wasn’t easy but I am glad I did it. Thanks again
Hi Rose
A very detail account of the journey back to do what you like to do – write. You must be scared. it must take courage to make each step. Just like anything in life, we must never settle for too little We must concentrate to push a step forward and keep on practice.This way we can regain our true love.
Thanks for sharing -Stella
Thanks Stella. It was the hardest thing I had to do. Most of the time when people truly find their passion they have to make sacrifices and it will be difficult. You mind will play games and most of your friends and family won’t support you. They will be asking the great questions that needs answering but you must be convicted. I had to sacrifice a lot but I am glad I did.
Rose,
Your courage and heart shines through your writing. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and encouragement. I am moved by your experience of starting to write, one paragraph at a time. I think small steps help us build expressive musculature that creates momentum and fuels the creative fires.
Thank you so very much Jackie. It is people like you who make it easier for me. Having people like yourself encouraging and sharing helps to motivate me and those are the things that keep me going through the difficult times. It is never easy but not as hard when there are people around to remind me why I made the sacrifice in the first place. Thanks again..
Hi Rose – go for it, really impressed. I’ve gone back to my passion late in life and am inspired by your story.
Thank you Mark. It is people like you who motivate and encourage me. I encourage you to continue to work at your passion and enjoy every moment of it. It won’t be easy all the time but when it becomes difficult remind yourself you would be working hard to make someone else’s dream come true why not yours.
You put this together so eloquently and precisely. Thank you. “Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.” ~Henri-Frédéric Amiel, Journal, 17 December 1856.
Thank you very much Chas. I truly encouraged. When I read the encouraging words I am motivated to work harder. I have always been very shy and insecure but with such encouraging words and motivation I am finding that my confidence and self belief is increasing daily. I love the quote as well. Great choice.
Hi Rose,
Very inspiring! I’ve also been spending my life on lucrative, but ultimately unfulfilling jobs. I’ve recently jumped in an decided to give writing a go, even though it’s so hard to start from scratch!
It’s definitely a challenge, but your experience is encouraging, and like you I find that I’m happier already.
Keep doing what you love!
Heather thank you so much for your encouraging and kind words. I offer them back to you too. Please do not give up no matter how difficult it might seem. It will become easier if you do not quick. I have been there and have fought through all the negativity in my head and around me and I am glad I didn’t succumb. Be encouraged.
Great article. Definitely something I’ll refer to weekly to really go for the goals that I’ve set. It’s definitely eye-opening, how might someone approach this entire process in terms of being objective with some tough choices?
Kevin thanks for writing. It will never be easy but the way I looked at it when I had to make equally difficult decision was if I didn’t do it for myself I would still have to do it for someone else. I chose myself instead. It will never be easy but you can do it. Take a chance on you. you have done it for others. Now it’s your turn.
Hi Rose,
Your article is so inspiring & so true . While reading I felt like I am reading my own life story. I have been struggling to find my passion & follow it for the longest time.
Now I have quit my job & decided to give it a try. Your experience is surely going to help me pursue my dream.
All the best !!
Thanks Vandana for your encouraging words. It is never easy but you have to make the sacrifice for yourself. When I had to make that decision for myself I had to choose to do it for someone else or for me. I chose me. I am also glad you chose you. Now is your time go out and make the best life for yourself. All the best.
Hi, Rose!
Love your post! I agree that most people will never discover their passion, which is unfortunate as it denies the world of human potential. Like you, writing is my passion. Unlike you though, who knew from a young age that writing is what you want to do, it took me forty-something years to discover it, which proves it’s never too late. Thank you, Rose, for reminding us to never give up on finding our passion!
Thank you Pat. It goes to show that it is never to late to find yourself. I was too young to truly understand what passion was and so were you. I knew writing was my passion because I was shy and prefer to write than to speak. our environment and personality will sometimes dictate how and when we find our passion. the good news is that we both have and now can focus on what we were put here to do. All the best.
Hats off to you Rosa for taking the courage to follow your heart’s desire and follow it with passion! Not everyone can do that and I feel you because I used to have doubts as well before I realized that I can never be truly happy when I’m too focused on pleasing other people. I finally found my passion and every single day I pursue that passion and give it my all.
Thank you very much Tony. I wrote this post because I wanted others like myself to realize that it is never too late to go after their dream. Sometimes we get distracted by life but no matter how far off course we get there is always that opportunity to go after what you want and achieve it. Continue to work hard and no matter what never quit. Do take the time also to enjoy the process.
Rose this is inspiring! I especially agree with this: “…there are so many people out there living dreams that are not their own. They have spent their lives building other people’s dreams while their dream is being ignored.”
One thing I have come to realize, though, is that the people who are content working day to day for someone else, if they are really content, then that’s all that matters. We don’t need to try to make them do something else because we’re each on our own path, and if that’s theirs, then that’s okay! However, as we free ourselves and follow our own passions, they just might be inspired to do the same. Great writing! I’d say you’re a writer. Keep it up!
I agree with you Laura but unfortunately many of us aren’t even aware that our dreams are waiting for us while we toil to make others dream come through. It would be wonderful if there is a balance. Thanks for your comment.
I’m confident many people can relate to your experience when you say, “I had gotten accustomed to a miserable existence.” Your message and example of incorporating your passion into your daily life is very encouraging and much needed! As a life and career coach, I see that finding something you love to is often the biggest hurdle in making a change. Breaking this step into smaller pieces (like making a list of things you enjoyed doing when you were younger, and then setting aside one hour a week dedicated to doing one of those things on your list) helps make this task more practical.