Many people that take up volunteer work come to the realise that selfless work provides deeper satisfaction than any paid job, no matter how high the pay was. Photo / 123rf
Do you currently dread going to your job? Is it a daily battle to stay motivated because you find your work dull, boring and repetitive?
Sure, it's your comfort zone. It pays the bills and feeds the family, but you still feel a void inside - like you're not going anywhere. There is no fulfillment mentally or spiritually. This void is deep and refuses to be filled by more "work".
Unfortunately, although most of us have heard the slogan "choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life", we end up in jobs we don't love. But here's where the problem surfaces. If we don't love something we can't and won't fill it with passion.
Why does that matter? Because passion is the energy, the force, the emotion that drives us to put effort into whatever it is we are doing – large or small. It is an intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction for or towards something - the single force empowered to drive us to success. Without it, we are left feeling empty and indifferent towards whatever we are doing.
Since passion has proven to be the major player in our quest for success, it makes sense to strive to live fully and passionately so we reap the benefits and rewards that success brings with it.
How do we discover what we are truly passionate about? This high energy force doesn't develop overnight, however, there are proactive steps we can take that gradually increase and boost our enthusiasm and passion.
Passion is fueled by many factors.
Curiosity for starters. The human mind is curious, and that's a good thing because discoveries are the result of relentless, unstoppable energy – the kind that will not rest until a solution is found. Try stepping out of your comfort zone to venture into the "unknown." You won't know what's waiting for you to discover if you don't venture out of your cage.
Challenge yourself. This challenge can come from you or via external forces. Many rags-to-riches challenges/stories have very humble beginnings but end in positions of power – all because of the sheer force of passion. For example, has your family outgrown your current home?
If so, there are two ways of looking at the situation. You can perceive it as a negative and create a stressful situation and not do anything about it. Or…you tap into the positive side. Wrapped neatly in that "need" is the motivation to achieve (buy that bigger home) and the passion to do it with.
Leaving a legacy for your family may be important to you as well. It might be an institution or enterprise started by you. Or possibly an invention or new process or a novel product that drives, motivates and fills you with passion.
Faith. Faith is a powerful force. Although it may have been marginalised in today's seemingly rational society, it still works wonders behind the scenes. This type of passion is behind the discovery of new lands and the creation of new cultures.
Faith, emotion and inspiration are alive and kicking in every corner of human activity. Coaches use it to inspire their teams to put in a passionate performance. Without faith in their coach, the team would fail to coordinate, and the game would be lost.
What external agency is your focus? Your boss, your coach, your religious leader? Decide on what moves you and use that agency as a star to guide you to your passion.
Altruism
The opposite of selfishness is often overruled by stronger passions early in life. Material success is the main objective at this early stage but as one advances in age and wisdom sets in, altruistic thoughts once again surface, becoming the primary passion for many.
Altruism is a belief and concern about another's welfare, considering it as important as the wellbeing of self, even if it means sacrificing energy, time or possessions. It involves selfless acts that have no expectation of return. How does altruism become a force of passion? Many people that take up volunteer work come to the realisation that selfless work provides deeper satisfaction than any paid job worked in the past, no matter how high the pay was.
Epiphany
A moment in your life when you are suddenly struck by a powerful thought that changes your life forever. It's the "ah-ha" or "light-bulb" moment. It may be a sudden realisation that you dislike your job and you've decided to leave and do what you really want to do in life. Other times, it may be a harsh realisation or tragic event that ignites this type of passion.
Passion itself can be a double-edged sword if not wielded properly. A proper balance must be struck to avoid anyone suffering. For example, you may feel passionate about putting extra hours in at work. That may look good on the surface, but it takes balance to keep your spouse and children happy as well.
Neglecting your family's needs (not attending and supporting school events etc.) can cause alienation and damage in the long run. So, be very careful to make sure your life is in balance and you are not negatively affecting others through your actions.
Face your attitudes. Break down the barriers that are preventing you from achieving success. How can you expect to succeed if you are afraid to let go of the "old" to make way and embrace the new or worse yet, if you don't believe you can succeed? How do you see yourself? What are your perceptions telling you? Are you a victim or a survivor? Those questions you must face and answer honestly.
As fitness guru Jillian Michaels so passionately teaches - "anything worth having in life will require work and it will require sacrifice, but if you've got the why -- if you've got purpose in the work -- that's when the work is passion". Work without purpose is punishment." Purpose is empowering. It allows you to project your efforts and shape your future. And it must be meaningful to add value.
Ask yourself the importance and purpose of what you are doing and examine what you are prepared to give up making it happen. In other words, find your "why". Not an unrealistic why like lottery winnings, but one you have a feeling of harmony with and a sense and desire to do. It's usually close to home, hidden in your activities or pursuits and often wrapped up neatly in your needs.
Find your "what". What provides you joy? What excites you in the morning when you first wake that you cannot wait to do for the day? What gets your adrenaline rushing?
Allow the beauty of your passion to blossom forth. Tucked neatly within it, you'll discover success, contentment, happiness and divine purpose. You'll forge a stronger link to your soul's creative intelligence and open to its many gifts of a life of transformation.
Carolyn Hansen is Co-owner Anytime Fitness
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