Are you tired enough of living your current life to make a serious change? It’s easy to be told to “follow your passion.” That’s great advice, if you could figure out where your passions lie.
There are many ways to find your passion, but it’s not necessarily easy. We tend to shy away from the things that are most meaningful to us. It seems counterintuitive, but it’s a little scary to live with that much enthusiasm. Having a lot means that you can potentially lose a lot. It’s natural to want to play it safe and keep your 9 to 5 and your three weeks of vacation. However, few of us grow up wanting to work in an office, pushing papers around. If you’re stuck in a life that bores you, resistance won along the way. Luckily, you can reinvent your life. You can dare to be bold and different. And you’ll most likely find life to be much more enjoyable! Use these strategies to find your passion and multiply the excitement and meaning in your life: Expect the process to be challenging. When you determine your passion, you’re likely to feel elated at first. However, that feeling might reverse itself before long. There is some part of you that will rebel against your spectacular idea. Hidden fears will come to the surface. These can include fears of failure, vulnerability, rejection, inadequacy, and exposure. If you refuse to give up the fight, your feelings of resistance will eventually die down. Know your values. Your passion has to be in line with your values, or it can’t truly be a passion. Make a list of your values. Take your time and do a good job. You have more values than you think. Now, make a list of your favorite activities. It might be playing the piano, drinking vanilla lattes, writing, and teaching judo. Again, take time to ensure that you cover all the bases. Be clear on your values and what you most enjoy. These will provide clues to your passion. Look to your past. What did you want to do when you were a child? Why didn’t you follow through? Make a list of the things you enjoyed as a child. What did you dream about? What did you want to become and experience? Your passion might not be dramatically different from your interests as a child. Use the power of your mind and a pen. Find an hour you can spend alone and in peace. Write at the top of a piece of paper, “My passion.” Now just write whatever comes mind. If you think to yourself, “This is silly,” then write “This is silly”. Just put every thought you have down on paper. It might take 20 minutes or so to get all the garbage out of your mind before you get to legitimate ideas. Just keep writing. You’ll know when you’ve hit paydirt. Many people report the experience of tears running down their cheek when they finally write down the right idea. If you’re not sure, keep going. Listen to your gut. Your passion won’t be the result of a logical decision. It’s the result of intuition. Trust yourself. Are you ready to live a life filled with passion? Are you ready to risk your current level of mediocrity? Make a commitment to yourself to find your passion and make a difference in your life. Now is the time to act. The world is waiting for you to be motivated and engaged.
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Most of us can agree that positive thinking is important. It tends to make us feel better, be more productive, and reduces stress. The problem is our lives aren't always rosy. Crises happen - be it on a personal level or something more widespread. If you are struggling to stay positive and hopeful when going through tough times, try following these nine tips:
1. Keep Your Head out of the Sand No matter what you are dealing with, ignoring it is rarely the answer. While ignoring problems might feel good in the short-term, it will sap your long-term positivity. Plus, many of the other tips listed here require you to acknowledge your circumstances first. 2. This Too Shall Pass When you are in the midst of a crisis, it is nearly impossible to keep things in perspective. That said, you need to recognize that your circumstances are temporary. Things might seem dire at the moment but try your best to remember that "this too shall pass." 3. Make a Plan One of the single best things you can do to maintain positivity during tough times is to make a plan on how to deal with it. When you focus on the solution rather than the problem, you will naturally feel more positive. You will feel like you are rising to the challenge. 4. Think About the Things You are Grateful For Even during great personal turmoil, you still have things you are grateful for. When things get tough, it is vital to remember that there is good in the world, and more importantly, in your life. When you are struggling, take some time to list the things in your life you are grateful for. 5. Reach Out for Support Keep in touch with loved ones and offer your support. Reach out if you need assistance too. When things are dire, it is always reaffirming when people pull together and help each other. 6. Take a Break Sometimes our circumstances are so dire that we think about our problems constantly. It is OK to take a break. You can take a break from the news, social media, or other people. It might not be easy but taking a break from external stimuli can help keep you positive. 7. Journal Your Feelings Journaling is a powerful tool in so many ways. By simply giving you a place to express your fears and concerns, a journal helps you maintain positivity outside of its pages. Do you know how good it feels to vent to a friend? Well, consider your journal as your best friend. 8. Focus on Things You Can Control When your world seems like it is spinning out of control, you may feel helpless. One way to address this and stay more positive is to focus on the things you can control. Instead of fretting about things out of your control, focus on making sure you do your best job on the things you can control. 9. Embrace Distractions Distractions are usually the worst. We are often trying to learn how to avoid or deal with them. They aren't that bad when you are struggling to stay positive in tough times, though. No matter how silly they seem, you should embrace distractions that bring you joy in tumultuous times. |
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