There are a number of reality shows out there in TV land. They feature dancers, singers, models, fashion designers, home designers, chefs etc. etc. The only show along those lines that I’ve ever really followed is Dancing With the Stars though I have to admit I enjoy the food-related ones as well.
What makes people appear on those shows? Probably a number of different reasons but the bottom line is that they are passionate about the skill they bring to the show. They give their all. They are focused on being absolutely the best they can be at their craft. All in the hopes of winning and being able to fulfill the dream of living their passion. Every decision they make, every sacrifice is based on following their passion. Some are successful, some aren’t.
Take Paul Potts, the winner of the Got Talent competition, for example. He always liked opera. With his self-confidence at rock bottom because he was always “different”, he sang in private to console himself. At the age of 37, nervous and shy, he nonetheless showed up for the audition of Britain’s Got Talent competition and launched into a spectacular tenor aria Nessun Dorma. The judges and the world were stunned. He went on not merely to win, but to sing for the Queen. And now having produced a hugely popular CD he is touring the world.
Are you following your passions? If not, why not?
All too often we make choices that are not in favor of our passions because we can’t see HOW that passion could possibly be fulfilled. You are not responsible for the HOW. Your job is to get crystal clear on the WHAT. Once you are focused on and totally committed to the WHAT, the HOW will take care of itself. By taking even small action steps you will find opportunities coming to you that you hadn’t even imagined. When Paul Potts committed to the WHAT, the HOW appeared.
You can discover your passions without spending agonizing months in front of audiences and a panel of judges. Let The Passion Test(tm) help you become clear on those five things that would leave you feeling terribly unfulfilled if you didn’t accomplish them during your life. If not now, when?
” You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills.” — Jim Rohn, author and speaker
When I was in my early twenties in Australia my dream was to travel the world and visit exotic places. Not just for a few days but on an ongoing basis. My dream was to become a flight attendant.
Fortunately for me the now “extinct” airline, Pan Am, was interviewing to fill a small number of open slots. Along with a few hundred applicants, I interviewed for one of 20 positions. I was crushed when I didn’t make the cut. Then I was angry. Then upset. Then more determined than ever to make it happen. So did I modify the dream or magnify my skills?
I knew I had to magnify my interviewing skills if I wanted another shot. So I began visualizing what it would feel like to be living my dream, so that at the next interview I could do a better job of “being” the image I thought the recruiters were looking for.
Did I succeed? You bet, although not quite on as grand a scale as I had wanted. I took to the skies with a domestic airline rather than an international one. So I guess you could say that I magnified my skills and slightly modified my dreams.
If you are faced with a similar dreams/skills issue, here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:
- Are the visions I have of my dreams complete, realistic and motivating? Do I need to reevaluate what’s truly important?
- What skills do I need to expand to achieve my dreams and goals? What is my plan for doing so?
- Will I do whatever it takes to fulfill my dreams?
- What next step can I take immediately?
So make sure you have a brilliantly clear vision of your dream and that you have the skills to make it happen. Then let go of expectations as to how it’s “supposed to” unfold and enjoy the journey!
If you need a facilitator to help you create your own Personal Strategic Life Plan, contact me at evelin(at)blueprints4change.com
True Joy of Life 
This is the true joy of life.
The being used for a purpose
Recognized by yourself as a mighty one.
The being a force of nature
Instead of a feverish, selfish
True Joy of Life
This is the true joy of life.
The being used for a purpose
Recognized by yourself as a mighty one.
The being a force of nature
Instead of a feverish, selfish
Little clod of ailments and grievances
Complaining that the world will not
Devote itself to making you happy.
I am of the opinion that my life
Belongs to the whole community
And as long as I live,
It is my privilege to do for it
Whatever I can.
I want to be thoroughly
Used up when I die,
For the harder I work the more I live.
I rejoice in life for its own sake.
Life is no brief candle to me.
It is a sort of splendid torch
Which I’ve got hold of
For the moment
And I want to make it burn
As brightly as possible before
Handing it on to future generations
— George Bernard Shaw
Is your life a tiny flicker, barely giving out a glimmer of light? Do you feel used up without any sort of spark left to keep you going? When was the last time you felt the burning heat of a “splendid torch?” If your answers are “Yes”, “Yes” and “I can’t remember”, then you probably aren’t living a life focused on those things that are important to you.
When you are living a life fueled by your own passions, you feel alive, motivated and filled with enthusiasm. You are driven to experience that “splendid torch” again and again. Living someone else’s life (for example, “I’m a lawyer because it’s what my parents wanted”) or living a mediocre existence because you are afraid to live the one you secretly desire will never light the torch, at least not for any length of time.
If you don’t know what sets your torch alight, what your purpose is, I can help you find the spark that will ultimately turn into a roaring blaze. Isn’t it time?
Over the holidays we’ve had some interesting weather here in the Washington DC region. Cold winter weather with a snowstorm followed by unseasonably warmer weather which caused late-night and early-morning fogs. As I drove through these foggy conditions, I started thinking about the fog we can sometimes feel like we’re in at certain times of our lives.
Feeling unfocused and befuddled we may feel like we can’t see what direction we are headed in. All of a sudden we are stuck because we’re afraid we might run headlong into “something hidden in the fog.” Sometimes it takes a fog to slow us down so that we can become still and go within. Perhaps there is an important lesson here that we need to learn. Is there an emotional issue that we need to deal with? Are we bored and unmotivated in a job? Have we lost our way in life and need to find the light in the mist to get us back on track?
It’s uncomfortable being in a fog, but when the sun comes out, the fog lifts. You can find that sun inside by determining what is important to you in your life right now. What would get you excited and motivated to jump out of bed in the morning? What are you really passionate about? What do you do that seems to make time stand still?
Harness that excitement, start to take some steps in the direction of your passions and you will feel the warmth of the sun dispersing the fog around you. Those foggy times in our lives come and go. When one surrounds you, don’t let impatience take over. Stop, redirect your attention onto your inner light and let it guide you out into the sun.
If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it.
If I miss two day’s, the critics notice it.
If I miss three days, the audience notices it.
— Ignacy Paderewski, Concert Pianist
Practice Makes Perfect!
It takes practice to follow your passions. We often get so caught up in getting the next thing done that we don’t stop and ask ourselves if what we’re doing is in line with our passions. Yes, you may have to miss a day’s practice but do you then remember to get back on track! Do you continue to ask yourself “is what I’m doing going to take me closer to, or further away from, my passions … those things that I say are truly important to me?”
Missing a day, or even two, of practice is not about beating yourself up and feeling guilty. It’s just information. It’s a message that you’ve taken a fork in the road you didn’t intend to. We all get lost from time to time. Don’t waste your energy on feeling guilty … use that energy to pick up where you left off and take the next step towards finding meaning and fulfillment.
It takes courage to follow your passions but ultimately it’s YOUR choice!
Cody McCasland is a boy who knows about courage and passion. When I watched the video about his life, I was bowled over. To say he is an inspiration is an understatement.
He was a premature baby born with a whole host of medical problems and not expected to live. Against all odds he survived, only to then have both his legs amputated. Now at age seven, Cody epitomizes courage, spirit, loving fierceness and the passion to help others through similar situations.
Passions arise from the heart. Living your passions restores a sense of balance and harmony. When you are truly passionate about something, you don’t have to try hard to put your attention on it. It’s fun. It’s engaging. It’s exciting. When challenges arise, they can’t deter you. They may slow you down for a while, but they can’t stop you. Never give up. Never let fear stand between you and your dreams. Never allow yourself to live a life of mediocrity. Not only does passion bring pleasure to you, it makes others want to be around you for the vicarious pleasure.
What if you had the courage to follow your passions? To not let fear get in the way? To forge ahead even if you don’t know how it’s going to turn out? Cody had no idea of what was in store for him but look how his life turned out… Cody on MSNBC
This evening my husband and I went out for “date night”, something we do periodically just to go off and chat, particularly when both of us have been busy doing our own thing. We decided to try out a restaurant we had not been to before – Busboys and Poets. Not only does it have good food, it is also a bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place. Even the menu makes for interesting reading.
The following poem (part of the menu) caught my attention. Many of the clients I work with have no idea what their passions are when we begin. Others have put aside their passions (dreams) for a variety of reasons. If you’re in that category, then perhaps this poem “speaks” to you.
A Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
— Langston Hughes, African-American Poet
If you would like to discover/rediscover your passions, please visit my website (http://www.blueprints4change.com) or email me, evelin@blueprints4change.com. The Passion Test™ has been of tremendous benefit in helping so many individuals clarify what is truly important to them, make major changes and live more fulfilled lives.
midlife, Passion & Purpose | admin | 
August 15, 2010 1:03 pm | 
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