Louise Thompson: Passion seeking part two

The reason you want to find your passion in the first place is because of how you imagine it will make you feel. Photo / Getty Images

Last week we talked about how everyone has a passion, it's just buried a little more deeply for some of us than others. It's always there however, and it's one of my greatest thrills with a client to see the mist starting to part as their passion comes into focus. A different life always awaits - whether their passion turns into a career switch, a new business, or a compelling new hobby or lifestyle.

• Louise Thompson on how to find your passion part one

What strategies can you use to start moving in the direction of your passions, however hidden they may be?

Well, our second strategy is to start combining both logic and intuition in your search. Both pieces are really important in locking in on our passion but generally we will only use one, and usually it's logic taking the driver's seat. Logic is important of course; what qualification you have; what options that opens up; who your contacts are; what the market is like; how your industry sector is developing and so on. We do not operate in a vacuum: reality, environment and experience are foundational, however, don't let logic drive the whole process if you are struggling to connect with what lights you up, as it will keep you stumbling around in the dark.

Finding your passion with logic is about figuring it out. But if it were that literal an answer, you would have figured it out already. The answer does not lie in exclusively relying on logic to literally figure it out. The route to where your passion is hiding is a much more lateral process of allowing yourself to feel it out. When you start to feel it out with your heart and soul, rather than exclusively figure it out with your brain, you will find you start making progress. Feeling it out is a more scenic route, and you will have to stop your literal brain from dismissing the exploration of interesting-looking avenues with logical-sounding shutdowns like "You'll never get qualified doing that / it's too late / you don't know anything about it / that couldn't ' possibly work / that's not even a real job and so on.

Be lateral, not literal. Follow the feel of whatever is interesting. Whatever piques your curiosity. The books you like to read. The shows you like to watch. The people you meet who leave you feeling uplifted and energised. The organisations, brands and people you follow. What you talk about that lights you up. The random connections that just feel sparky and interesting, even though they don't make logical sense.

Follow the feel of who or what seems interesting and connecting. Let it gently start to guide you forward. Notice how it makes you feel. Be open. Be curious. Let your logical brain take a back seat just while you create some space for your passion to start to reveal itself to you. Because, know this, the reason you want to find your passion is not because you want to make more money (although that's always nice of course!) or because you want a better car or whatever the logical benefits might be. The reason you want to find your passion in the first place is because of how you imagine it will make you feel. It's about wanting to experience that feeling state of connection and purpose more often. It's about how you will feel when you find it, and live it. You are seeking it ultimately not for a logical payoff but an emotional one, so not using that navigating system as part of the way of identifying it is a crazy oversight. If you want to find your passion and live it, stop trying to figure it out for a while (plenty of time for all the logical pragmatic stuff to kick in later). Instead, lead with your curiosity and follow it forwards. You will be surprised at what will start to reveal itself if you park your logical brain in the back seat for a while.

Through her online Happiness programme "Wellbeing Warriors", life coach Louise Thompson helps people unlock their happiest and healthiest life. Sign up at louisethompson.com and find more from Louise at
bite.co.nz/wellbeing