4 Things You Didn’t Know Were Holding You Back
Pursing your passion is all about following your instinctual inner drives and doing things that bring you joy or make you feel good. Passion is an energy! It’s something that already exists inside you which means you have complete autonomy over it. There’s only one catch. You need to have a good connection with yourself in order to draw it out and work with it effectively.
Unfortunately, most people think that following your passion is some sort of epic quest or a journey that needs to be taken. It’s inherently viewed as something you have to search for or find. Letting people think about it this way is a major disservice. Not only can it be frustrating to be on a fruitless search for something you will never find, in some cases, it can cause people to waste valuable years of their lives. Pursing your passion should never come at the expense of your own well-being.
Let’s face it, not everyone will attain the glamorous dream life they picture having. But what we can do instead is build something that feeds our soul and makes us feel excited to get out of bed in the morning – even when we’re going through the annoying things that come along with the human experience.
What holds us back
I believe here are two big things that hold people back from creating more passion in their life. Are you ready for the first one? Most people have no idea what they’re passionate about, simply because they haven’t been encouraged to explore it. Trying to figure this out can feel daunting if you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself to nail things down in a more concrete way. Give yourself a break and start by trying new things to see if you want to do them again or not. When you have a handful of activities that you’re vibing with, look for the commonality they share. This will help show you what you’re really excited about.
The second thing that can hold them back are their belief systems. What many of us don’t realize is that what was true in the past, isn’t necessarily true for us now. If we’re doing things right, we evolve, grow and change as we live our lives. Because of this, we often need to review our belief systems from time to time and make adjustments where necessary.
Our first belief systems come from our parents or caretakers when we were little. Going against them wasn’t something that our brains deemed acceptable for survival. Even as adults, it is difficult to maneuver around this fear of displeasing the people around us to chase our own dreams or needs. This is something that may even be happening to you on a subconscious level. Try not to let what other people believe steer you away from taking actionable steps towards what you want.
Let’s look at some other roadblocks that might be in your way…
Where To Put Your Time & Energy
When you don’t know what you want, you’ll always spread yourself too thin. This is why narrowing down what makes you feel inspired will be helpful in allowing you to pursue your passions. If there are a lot of things you are passionate about – that’s great! But I urge you to pick one or two for the sake of your sanity and physical health. What I often find is that when people start small, things will naturally unfold. This tact allows you to grow at a sustainable rate and eventually add in more of the things you really love. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew. Sometimes unbridled enthusiasm can be more destructive than helpful.
Likewise, knowing when to walk away from a pursuit can also save you a considerable amount of time. If you’re trying the same thing over and over with similar results, it’s time to switch up some part of the equation. Look to friends and colleges to get you thinking outside the box. You may also want to reconsider if what you are doing is the right path for you. Things can change over time, and you might be trying to push your way into an area that’s not quite ready to open up for you yet. Manage yourself with kindness and grace when making adjustments.
Knowing Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Being able to take an honest look at yourself is important. This allows you to construct a more realistic approach to your goals, making them possible to achieve. When our mind is stuck in fantasyland or we have unrealistic expectations, we get disappointed and frustrated when we continue to fail. Even when we have a high amount of passion or excitement for what we are doing. Setting yourself up for success depends on knowing yourself well and accepting your limitations. This part can be extremely difficult, especially when we really wish we had qualities we just don’t have, and can’t get.
It’s imperative to avoid comparing yourself to others where you can. Your gifts and talents will always be unique and special to you. So, looking at someone else for a gauge of how well you’re doing will never entirely work out. Instead, I find it helpful to look at what you admire about how other people are doing things. Then find a way to incorporate that into your framework in a manner that suits the way you like to move.
Releasing Control to the Universe
And now for the most difficult trick of all time – learning how to let go! Adults are often “results” driven creatures. We want to know if something will work or how the situation will turn our before we invest ourselves in it. Our rationale is usually that we don’t want to waste our time and energy on something if its’ going to be a big flop.
But that’s the beauty of life! Our lessons, joy and knowledge come from the journey we take on the way to the outcome. Not from the outcome itself. No matter what happens, you will come out ahead as long as you try. Passionate people know how to enjoy the ride and release expectations. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when you are assessing whether or not you want to take a chance on yourself.
If you want a great example of people who don’t care about how things turn out, watch how children act. They do things because they want to or because it feels good. Kids run through the sprinklers because it’s fun. They paint strange paintings just to see the colors swirl together. Or because they enjoy making a bit of a mess! Not because they want to sell their artwork for the price of a van Gogh. They run on passion, not personal gain. Next time you’re overthinking things, check in and see what the 6-year-old version of yourself would do instead.
Remember, the only thing you can control is how you react. That’s literally it. The rest is up to the Universe to decide. As long as you are taking action in accordance with your values, then whatever happens will allow you to feel like you were true to yourself and acted with integrity. Next time you’re stressing about the endgame or how to leverage a situation, ask yourself how much control you really have. And whether or not you’re exerting your resources for the good of everyone involved. When we try too hard to control what’s happening, it usually drives us farther off course and prevents us from getting what we really want. It’s not your job to judge the process. Instead, enjoy what you’re doing and be open to how things turn out.
Passion: (noun)
an intense desire or enthusiasm for something, a state or outburst of strong emotion