Quest for your Passion

“Every human being is born into this world fully equip not only to take care of him or herself but to contribute to the well being of the world as a whole. Some get the chance to explore their potential, but others never get the chance to unwrap the wonderful gifts they were born with. They die with those gifts unexplored and the world remains deprived of their contribution.”- Muhammad Yunis

Trying to find your passion, your calling, your “Holy Grail” is a quest we all begin in our minds. Some of us allow the quest to unfold in our physical world, while others continue the quest in thought from beginning to end over and over again. We are all trying to discover what allows us to be the highest version of ourselves most, if not all the time. We have the opportunity to discover how to optimize our lives every day in each moment. Shift the anxiety felt from not knowing your passion or how to get there into forward movement that promotes growth instead of building a safety net where fear and doubt lies. All of our paths are unique. Ask yourself what is the vision for your life in the next 3-5 years. Yes, this is a standard question we have heard time and time again but a very relevant one. If you can believe it, you can achieve it, but seeing it is the first step.  Do not focus on the extrinsic goals: money, fame, followers, impressing people, or cars. Consider your intrinsic goals: your definition of freedom, relationships, your image, your happiness, your peace. If you desire to be an artist, social activist, teacher, designer, speaker, you must understand each day sums up your year which in turn, sums up your life. 

Don’t resist your calling because you don’t believe you have one or all the resources, people, education that’s needed in order to start what you want to become. The process of achieving your goals will allow for the necessary tools to fall in place, allowing you to reach your desired purpose. You can work on your purpose without fully knowing what your purpose is. Section out time to do activities you enjoy by yourself whether that is cleaning, running, painting, cooking, streaming YouTube videos. Whatever it is, allow yourself space to effortlessly live in the present moment. In these moments the authentic you feels free to roam. Listen to those voices. Take steps at exploring how your strengths, talents, and uniqueness will guide you on fulfilling your mission in finding your passion and/or developing it. Your calling will come in the process. You’ll find what you can be great at. The things you do that serves others is where your passion lies. Do not concern yourself on being super specific. Focus on what encourages you and brings a little light to those around you. Be willing to experiment. We were not blessed with only one talent. Do not believe you must only play on one talent in order to be successful. It will be the most natural thing to do. When you are willing to make mistakes, try new things, and learn from others, you will discover a great deal about yourself and your calling in life.

“Who are you not to be? Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate but we powerful beyond measure. Who are you not to be bold and beautiful”- Nelson Mandela

You are not yet who you need to be.

How Frustrating Goal Setting Can Be and Tips to Stay on Track

Goal setting can be really frustrating can’t it? You weren't able to make the deadline you set for yourself. You only completed half of what you needed to do. You put something or someone else over your goal and used that as an excuse to not get it done. We've all done it. There are plans to get certain things done, then something interrupts those plans: family, forgotten obligations, friends, feelings of being tired, or unmotivated. The next thing you know, it’s been a week and absolutely nothing towards your goals were accomplished. This can bring on feelings of disappointment, self-doubt, and unworthiness. When you’re in that state of mind it’s difficult to jump start with the enthusiasm and positivity you need to take action. Just because you hung out with a friend you really wanted to see instead of doing a task on your to-do list doesn't make you a failure. Just because you decided to cuddle up with your significant other for a movie instead of doing house work doesn't make you a failure. Just because you decided to stay on the phone with your sister or brother for hours and catch up instead of making important phone calls doesn't make you a failure. Your life should be varied and complete filled with unanticipated moments of joy, excitement and even sorrow. Our desires for our goals will remain. You will always have times where you want to do things that have absolutely nothing to do with your goals and that’s okay! There’s no such thing as a positive straight line to reaching your goal. There are valleys, detours, and dead ends. Basically, there will be setbacks. It’s you who must determine if these setbacks will deter you from what you truly want. As long as you have breath then you still have time to do all things you want to do. Now in no way am I saying yes it’s okay to put off your goals until you get around to them. If you are consistently and deliberately making choices that don’t serve your goal it’s important that you admit that to yourself and think about why you are choosing to avoid it. But if you’re more motivated on some days to work on your goal and on others more motivated to spend time with your friends, family or even you, then being completely comfortable with that choice is essential to staying motivated. Do not feel as if you gave up one thing for another. You chose exactly what you felt would serve you the most and embrace that decision. The feeling of positively embracing the choices you make is the first step. Here are a few tips to keep you moving towards your goal while incorporating your other desires:

1.               Schedule a specific day during the week to work on your goal.

a.               Start out with a day or two and as you take more action, more momentum will allow you to add on more days

2.               Take 15 minutes at the end of the day to revisit the things you did that added or took away from your day

a.               Being aware of what your filling your time with allows you to make adjustments for what you truly need and want

3.               Write your goals out and put them somewhere you will see every day without trying.

a.               Having a daily reminder of your desires strengthens your subconscious to fulfill them

4.               Use an accountability team to help you stay on track.

a.               Find one or more friends to hold you accountable for what you say you will do on a daily or weekly basis.

5.               Ask yourself, “Where do I want to be in a month?”

a.               What would you like to say about last month in regards to your goal?

It’s important to have balance. It’s important to understand that at different moments you’ll be pulled to fulfill different desires. Don't resist it. Not overextending yourself in either direction is key. Don’t aim to your goal; aim to the feelings you desire (accomplishment, peace, clarity, focus, love). If you want to feel less tired, go to bed earlier. If you want to feel more love in your life, spend time with the people that love you. If you want to feel more focused, dedicate more time to yourself reflecting on what matters to you most. It is your life to live and the journey is yours. Invest in your happiness and your goals are bound to be met.

Live freely J