Passion is an emotion to be acted upon. Without action, passion yields no worthwhile results. When you have passion for something, you love it even when you hate it. So how do you define passion? How do you recognize your passion, and how do you put it to good use?
How Do You Define Passion?
A desire fueled by passion will bring about the greatest results in life. As a teen, I enjoyed swimming but didn’t have the drive to show up to practice every day and sacrifice my weekends to pursue it competitively. I was more interested in writing, which led me to a journalism internship where I spent much of my time after school writing and even had to sacrifice socializing with my peers to finish assignments. Passion pushes you through difficult times because you don’t care what it takes to become better. We all have the ability to create whatever kind of life we want. The secret to living the dream is hidden in our passions and what we do because of them.
How to Know What You’re Passionate About?
Finding what you are passionate about is a journey in itself. Don’t be frustrated if you don’t feel like you know yet. Keep trying new things, and they will come even if you have to build them. Maybe you work a good job that pays all the bills, but it doesn’t allow you to truly follow your passion. You’re afraid of what will happen if you change things up. Yes, change is scary, but it’s not until we leave our comfort zone that we find what we’ve been missing out on. You’re the author of your life. Don’t settle for the bare minimum just because it’s working out right now. You will never know what you’re truly capable of unless you push yourself.
14 Amazing Things That Happen When You Live Your Passion
While society wants you to believe living your passion is irresponsible and foolish, we will focus on 14 amazing things that happen when you live your passion and all the opportunities it can unlock.
1. Increased Self-Confidence
Oftentimes, when you are not living your passion, you are living the life that you believe is acceptable to others. Your confidence will suffer when you give into the pressures of society, your friends, and your family. This is largely because you are forcing yourself to do something that is of little interest to you. There is probably a good reason for this, so when you are not working within your strengths and interests, your performance will be subpar.
2. Lowered Stress Levels
Job stress is the major source of stress for adults, and it is associated with “increased rates of heart attack, hypertension, and other disorders.”[1] Let me start out by debunking the misconception that all stress is bad. Those who follow their passions and those who do not will both encounter stress. The difference is in the kind of stress you come across.[2] Those who live their passion have an internal motivation that helps bring balance to their situation. As a result, they will most likely have stressful situations that come and go. A good example would be you have three important projects that need to be completed in the same day. Subsequently, you feel stressed until the day is over. Those who are not living their passion are usually not enjoying their work and find it stressful every day. The act of waking up, putting their clothes on, and driving to work stresses them. They dread every Monday and yearn for every Friday.
3. Fulfillment in Your Work
Even though there may be a bit of uncertainty in how you define your passion, you cannot underestimate the value of loving what you do. By pursuing your passion, you will feel fulfilled in your work. You will no longer feel the need to listen to podcasts and audiobooks while working (trying to fill that unfulfilled void). You will have the joy of living your passion instead of planning to live your passion. There is nothing more rewarding than doing what you were called to do.
4. Mastery of Work-Life Balance
There is a saying that if you live your passion, you no longer need a work-life balance. The premise is work-life balance is only needed when your work is draining. When you are following your passion, your life is in constant balance. Your work does not feel like a job because you would do it for free. Can you imagine wishing you could be working because you truly enjoy what you do? Well, that is exactly what will happen when you are pursuing your passion.
5. Fewer Regrets Later in Life
Imagine what your life would be like if you pursued all your dreams and passions. Now imagine if you ran into that person and had to explain to him why you did not pursue your passion. This is the real-life conversation most people have when it is all but too late. Take a risk and bet on yourself. Even if it does not work out exactly as you would have hoped, you will be better for it.
6. Personal Growth
The reason most people do not live their passion is because of the uncertainty surrounding their passion. You may have doubts regarding your ability to succeed financially, professionally, or even emotionally. Sometimes, you are right to think this way. This does not mean you should accept this reality and do nothing about it. Instead, spend some time developing the skill sets needed to accomplish your passion.
7. Positive Attraction
When you live your life and follow your passions, you will attract like-minded people. To be honest, you are probably going to rub some people the wrong way when you are pursuing your passion. People do not like change, and when you change, it could change your relationships. Do not let this be something that will hold you back. Your growth is tied to your willingness to pursue the beliefs that will enable you to achieve your goal.
8. Expand Your Comfort Zone
Do not fall into the trap of believing that you have to give everything up to follow your passion. These types of limiting beliefs keep most people from ever starting their journey to change their life. In fact, you don’t need to give up everything to start afresh. Here’s why. Allow yourself to slowly expand your comfort zone and try new things. You can continue to live your existing life, while pursuing new adventures on the side. As you grow more comfortable in your ability to live your passion, you can slowly shift more time towards it.
9. Be Grateful
It is true that you can and should be grateful all the time. There is always something to be grateful for in your life. Even if you got a flat tire on your way home from work, at least you have a vehicle. Similarly, you should always be grateful to have a job. Yet, there is little doubt that you will feel more grateful if you do something you are passionate about daily. You could realistically find yourself excited to wake up every morning because you know it is another day to fulfill your life’s purpose.
10. Reconnect With Your Inner-Self
There was a time when you felt free. You felt like you could do anything and everything was possible. When you start living your passion, you are most likely reconnecting with things you loved as a child. By taking a moment and realizing the things you loved before society told you what to love, you are finding a lost piece of yourself. Revisit your childhood joys and take note of what you loved doing. Like me, you may find that you love putting puzzles together. This could speak on your analytical nature and help you understand why you are so passionate about putting things together and solving problems. Whatever it may be, take a moment and rediscover the “real you” that was forced to “grow up.”
11. Kinder Person
Your passion is most likely going to benefit a lot of people. There is something wrong with the world that you believe you can help improve. If more people would live their passion, there is little doubt the world would be a better place. There is peace and joy that you will find when you are living your passion, and that will rub off on your interactions with others. You may have heard the saying, “hurt people, hurt people.” This means that the person who is bad at your job is most likely dealing with something in their own life. When you pursue your passion, you are satisfied and at peace with the world, and you will be kinder to others.
12. Unleash Your Creativity
When you leave the path of least resistance and start to live your passion, you must unleash your creativity to succeed. You are going to be venturing into uncharted waters in your life, and it can be intimidating. But that is where the magic happens. When you find yourself face to face with an obstacle logged between you and your passion, you need to trust in yourself that you will prevail. Regardless of whether you’re a “science and math” person or someone who doesn’t dabble in art, give it a try. Something as simple as coloring, dancing, and even painting for fun may lead you to a new hobby.
13. Change the Narrative
You have an inner voice that is telling you who you are, what you can do, and what you deserve. Sometimes you have split feelings about pursuing your passion. On the one hand, you are grateful for the life you have and content with everything it entails. Or you have a burning desire to pursue your passion and take a risk. By understanding the limiting narrative you are telling yourself (I am not good enough, I should be happy with the job I have now, etc.), you will be better equipped to change your narrative. Your new narrative will be grounded in an understanding that you can pursue your passion without that meaning you are ungrateful or unappreciative of the life you have now.
14. Conquer Your Fears
Avoid the temptation to rationalize keeping things the way they are until you have more experience, more time, and more influence. There will always be something that could be better. If you give into your fears, they will only continue to grow and fester within you. By living your passion, you will have put your fears in their place. Remember, it is okay to be afraid, it is not okay to allow that fear to stall your efforts.
What About Passion for People?
Often, I think we need to remind ourselves who we love and act accordingly. It’s easy to let family relationships weaken because of pride. Of course, you say you love your family, but when your brother is in the school play, and you hate plays, do you go? The same applies to intimate relationships. Do you only love them when it’s easy? Real love takes sacrifice and work. You push through the difficult times because you love them, and you understand that every passion pursued will have bumps in the road. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand what it means to have passion for someone. This is reflected in the lowered marriage rates and the maintenance of high divorce rates in various countries around the world. [3] Following any passion takes vulnerability and work. But I promise in the end, the outcome of such efforts will be the most fulfilling to your life.
Final Thoughts
One of the most fascinating things about living your passion is the freedom and ease of burden. Do not think for another moment about what your life would be like if you lived your passion. Instead, you need to go out there and start living it. No matter how small the change, you will start to see the benefits discussed. Once you start seeing the benefits, there will be nothing holding you back. Featured photo credit: Randalyn Hill via unsplash.com
