Three Mistakes People Make When Trying to Find Their Passion

By Barb Brown

It is a worthy endeavor when a person is willing to pause in their life and really seek out what feeds their soul. A person's journey on the road to discovering their passion may be a fairly simple and straightforward one, or it may be more complex and confusing. Neither journey is wrong, but there are some simple mistakes you can avoid to make the journey easier. Here are three things to avoid -

Making It Too Logical

Some decisions are best made in your head, logically. But some choices need to be made from the heart. If you think about it, most people don't find inspiration in their head, but rather feel the emotion somewhere closer to the heart. Making the decision to find your passion may feel somewhat daunting; you don't want to make any mistakes. So, you plan it out and "decide" what your passion is instead of truly finding your passion.

Finding your passion is best when it is a heart felt journey. Give yourself time, gather your courage, and use meditation, experimentation, trust, and emotion. You will know you're on the right track when you feel excitement in your entire body, mind and soul - that is your passion.

Getting Stuck in Fear

Buddha said "there are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting." Fear can hold us back in so many ways: fear of making a mistake and making the wrong choice can paralyze us from moving forward. But being held back by fear, waiting for a safe and clear answer, is a disservice to your soul. So many times a "mistake" is really just what we need to learn an important lesson. I don't believe there are wrong choices, just different life lessons with each path. It's all part of the journey; you must begin somewhere. Why not begin right now, from right where you are.

Trying to Figure It Out All by Yourself

Any journey is more difficult alone, and we all have voices of doubt that we must fend off. In your efforts to find your passion, you would do well to have a companion, such as a mentor, coach, or guide. There are wonderful resources, coaches, and mentors out there, especially on the Internet. Many have taken their own passion journey already. There are also groups you can join to explore your passion around adventure, books, travel, and much more!

To begin your passion exploration, you will need to be willing to start with a blank slate. Avoid looking back; there is no need to look at the past and mistakes you may feel you have made. Start with a few simple questions. "What am I good at?" "How do I enjoy spending my time?" "What stirs my soul?"

Don't be surprised by fear and doubt in this process, just be willing to acknowledge those emotions, and send them on. Be patient with the process. It is a journey after all. A worthwhile journey, first to your heart and then on to your passion, happiness, inspiration, and joy.

"Follow your passion, and success will follow you." - Arthur Buddhold

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Barb Brown is a Licensed Professional Counselor, certified Life Optimization Coach, and a certified Nutrition Advisor. Her own journey to find her health, purpose and passion in life has inspired her to help others. Barb's most recent book, "Total Body Health and Wellness," explores the basics of good health, which she believes must include tending to the body, mind, and spirit. To help others find their direction in life, an important element for a healthy mind and spirit, Barb offers a free Personal Passion Action Plan at [http://www.livetheinspiredlife.com]http://www.livetheinspiredlife.com. This free guide is available to anyone who is ready to explore the question of "what's next in my life journey?"

Bringing The Passion Back To Your Life

By Dr Kate Siner

You have probably heard me say this a bunch by now but your life is what you make it. If it is lacking passion then, it is your job to bring it back. Sometimes, this requires a mental shift. Sometimes, this requires taking action to create more of what we want in our external life. A little of both can go a long way.

Recognize that passion wears different faces:

Pay attention to what a passionate life really means to you. Maybe it looks different in different parts of your life. Maybe passion at work looks different than passion with your lover, or passion about a topic. How do you know you are passionately engaged with each aspect of your life? Write it out so that you can clearly see when things are what you want them to be.

Be vulnerable:

It is hard to feel passionate when we are under lock and key. If we are afraid to be vulnerable, we lose out on feeling connected to ourselves and really known by another person. Sometimes, showing love and showing joy can be as vulnerable or even more than when we need to show weakness. Are there places where you have a hard time being vulnerable? How can you open up those parts of your life?

Clean up your messes:

Baggage weighs us down and holds us back. When we live with a lot of unresolved stuff it stops us from being present and passionate in our lives. What grudges are you holding onto? What pain from your past is it time to let go of? Find a way to clear your past so that you can be in the present.

Let go of limiting beliefs about what is fun and what is not:

Work is not fun. Vacation is fun. Even if we don't totally buy into that idea the vestiges of it -like I was mentioning in my note- are there nonetheless. If we think more about an attitude of passion or joy instead of an experience giving it to us then we might be a lot happier. What does an attitude of passion or joy mean to you? How can you cultivate it?

Express your anger:

Anger and passion are on the same continuum. If you have totally shut down your anger, it will be very hard to experience a passionate life. This does not mean that you should be ranting and raving all the time. It just means that if you tend to say that you "never get angry", you might want to take a look if what you are really saying is you don't let yourself feel angry or that you are actually being apathetic.

Make time for it:

Everything important deserves its time. If you want more of something in your life, make a point of scheduling time to bring more of it in. Just by answering these questions and making some quick changes you will see a passion infusion in your life.

How long has it been since you leaped out of bed and excitedly entered your new day? Have you stopped thinking that was even possible? Being passionately connected to our lives is possible and here are some practical ways to do it. Join along with special guest Sexual Empowerment expert and thought leader, Amy Jo Goddard as they discuss ways bring passion to every area of how you live on this weeks Real Answers Radio. http://ctrnetwork.com/profile/RealAnswers

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Dr. Kate Siner has been called, " A true visionary leader who advocates for a much needed shift in the world today." With a PhD in Psychology and rich personal story, Dr. Kate Siner is the perfect one-two-punch that has facilitated transformational work for thousands of people around the world. Dr. Kate Siner has been on NBC, ABC, Fox, and other major networks speaking on fulfillment and success. She's been featured and quoted in numerous journals and magazines, is an author of the soon to be released collaborative book "Soul of Success" with Jack Canfield and is winner of a "2015 RISBJ Women to Watch Award" for excellence in entrepreneurship. http://www.katesiner.com