I was interviewed by this young blogger who has found his passion for writing, coaching, and teaching about passion and purpose. Before the interview he said, “I’m so excited about what I’m doing, I can’t sleep at night.” His face is lit up from within with his energy for his work.
How amazing to figure out your passion when you’re still in your 20’s, before life steals away too much of your time, energy, and enthusiasm.
Have you ever encountered someone who exudes this aura of enthusiasm and purpose? Their entire demeanor reveals they have something really cool going on in their life. They are up to something special. And they are joyful, energized, and simply fun to be around. I’m describing people who have found their passion and figured out how to make it part of their daily lives, through their work or otherwise. They have found that “thing” that lights them from the inside out like my blogger friend and puts them in the flow of intense focus and engagement. They have rearranged their life priorities so that passion has a starring role. Life passion is often expressed through one’s work — but it doesn’t have to be. Many people experience their passion by . . . volunteering enjoying a hobby in a relationship with a side-interest or business
Sometimes these endeavors have a way of turning into a career. It’s amazing how passion creates opportunities and opens doors. In fact, passion infuses all of your life with its joyful benefits — not just the one endeavor. It’s very similar to being in love. When you’re with the person you love, everything else disappears and time stands still. Even when you’re apart, the rest of your world is bright and sparkly. Everything seems better and easier. This happens with a passion in life as well. A similar intensity, joy, and aliveness is experienced through one’s passion. When one part of your life is so amazing, you won’t settle for less in the other parts. So how do these passionate people become so passionate? What have they done to discover so much purpose and satisfaction in their lives? In my work as a coach, I’ve observed first-hand the traits and choices of people who are living their passion. These are regular people with no extraordinary abilities beyond what most people possess — ut they do have some interesting things in common.
Here are 8 habits of highly passionate people:
1. They are in touch with their deeper motivations and core values.
Passionate people understand that passion is connected to our deeper, intrinsic yearnings. We want to be loved, feel purposeful, express ourselves, and many other universal desires. We all have core values we hold dear, those guiding principles that help us make important decisions. When we are in touch with these yearnings and values, we have a framework for defining and living our passion.
2. They take risks.
Passionate people recognize that seizing your passion can be risky. Very few things in life come with a guarantee. But if you have done your research and testing with your possible passion, at some point you must take a leap of faith. Nothing extraordinary in life ever happens without taking that leap.
3. They tolerate uncertainty and discomfort.
Taking risk is uncomfortable and unnerving. No matter how much due diligence you’ve performed, discomfort and uncertainty are part of taking risk. Passionate people must make some uncomfortable decisions, such as making choices others don’t like, saying goodbye to parts of their old life, and challenging themselves to do something new. But passionate people understand that this part of the process, and they take action even if the face of discomfort.
4. They learn to prioritize.
Passionate people understand commitment to their dream. To live your passion, you must focus on it with clarity and experience it thoroughly. You can’t do this if you are pulled in many different directions and have a plate full of other distractions and interests. Passionate people are laser-focused on the few most important things in their lives and are diligent about letting go of others — even some things they like and enjoy.
5. They recognize and seize opportunities.
Passion creates opportunity, and passionate people always have one eye trolling for chance opportunities. These opportunities could broaden their experience or lead them to new passions. They understand how one’s passion rarely takes a linear path, so they allow themselves to enjoy the detours and available options.
6. They expect positive outcomes.
Passionate people expect things to work out in their favor. They have the attitude that “this or something better” is happening for them. Because they love what they are doing, they have a positive expectation about where their passion will take them. They even view failures as part of the passion adventure.
7. They surround themselves with the right people.
Passionate people understand how valuable it is to be around supportive, inspiring, like-minded people. They’ve learned to disengage from people who drain them and connect with others who support their vision and joy for life. They have mentors and peers with whom they frequently interact and share.
8. They savor the journey.
Living a passionate life isn’t about reaching some desired outcome or destination. It’s about enjoying every minute of the wild ride. Ask anyone who is enthusiastic and passionate about what they are doing, and you’ll see that the process of doing the work is far more engaging than achieving the result.
The thrill of success is short-lived, but the joy of pursuit lasts a lifetime. Look around you at the people you know or encounter who seem have found their passion and are living a life of passion. What are their habits? What are they doing that you could emulate in order to create a passionate life for yourself? If you want to find and live your life passion, begin by hanging around those who have already done it. Their enthusiasm will stoke your own inner fire to upgrade your life and prioritize living passionately.
