One of the key ingredients to a fulfilling life is having passions. Yes, passions—plural—because life is so abundant that there’s no need to limit ourselves to just one. If you’ve been struggling to figure out what you’re passionate about, know that you’re not alone. It can be hard to come by those things that make our eyes light up. However, when you do find them, you’ll see that the quest for them was worth pursuing. Without further ado, let’s explore some tools to help you with that quest!
1- Reflect on your passions from childhood/adolescence.
The things that made us happy in our younger years tend to be overlooked or forgotten about. However, there’s a good chance that those same things would bring back that pure joy in the present. Even if just for nostalgic purposes, it’s often worth revisiting them. You never know if it’ll turn out to be something bigger than nostalgia (i.e. your life’s greatest passion)!
2- Reflect on what you already know about yourself, and let that knowledge lead the way.
In other words, even if you don’t know your passions, you probably know other things about yourself that could guide you toward discovering them. Think in terms of the things that spark joy or curiosity in you. For example, you might know you enjoy reading novels, which could lead to you discovering your love for writing your very own. You might know you take an interest in religion, which could lead you to learn more about it and develop a passion for your faith. Whatever the case may be, lean into the things about yourself that you believe could bring you closer to your answers.
3- Expand your perception of what constitutes a passion.
When you hear the word “passion”, your first thought might be a famous musician or artist living out their dreams. However, passions don’t have to be grandiose. They can take countless different forms and show up in any area of our lives. Even if you’re not necessarily passionate about your job, you can absolutely live a passionate life. Enter…hobbies, projects, side hustles, relationships, communities, family, the list goes on. Heck, you can even be passionate about the TV shows you watch! Any passions that are channeled in a positive, constructive way are valid. With that being said, let go of any pressure you’ve put on yourself to find passions that fit a certain mold. That unnecessary pressure defeats the purpose of having passions, which is to enhance your life!
4- Explore what the world has to offer you, now that you have a broader view of passions.
One possible reason you haven’t discovered your passions yet is that you don’t know they exist. For instance, you may know you like being creative but haven’t landed on a form of creativity that you love yet. You’ve tried drawing, painting, writing, etc. It isn’t until you discover pottery that you feel more excited to create than ever before! In this example, as per the second tip, you used knowledge you already had about yourself (that you like being creative) to guide you in the right direction. Some tools for exploring your options include research, social media, going to places of interest, networking, etc. One of the most exciting things about life is that you’ve still yet to encounter things and people that/who will someday become your favorites!
The bottom line…
There’s something magical about finding what you love in life. May these tools get you that much closer!
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