Passion – When it’s Not One Thing

When I was a teenager, I remember having a conversation with my brother that went something like this. “I am so envious of you, you love drums so much and have found your passion, you know exactly what you want to do/be.” He said to me “You are the lucky one, you can be or do anything, I only want to play drums, and if that does not happen, I would be lost”

That experience stuck with me, for you see, I was one of those that did not have my “one-thing”. I did (and still do) enjoy several different things, some of which I liked keeping as hobbies since my interest in them ebbs and flows. I enjoy change, growth, learning, testing and researching which often leads me to new areas to explore. I have embraced this life of plenty and never felt like I needed just one thing.

What became of my brothers passion? He did play drums professionally for many years before finding a new passion – technology/design – He loves having a strong passion and even that passion continues to evolve/deepen as he learns and grows.

What about you?
Do you wish you had a burning passion – one career or life interest that is all consuming? Where you are singly focused, clear, and driven toward it?

So many of my clients come to me wanting to find such a passion. Some feel that they never really had it (in their careers especially). When I ask how they are defining passion, they use words like, “my one thing”, “what lights me up”, “what fulfills me”. When they don’t have it, they feel like something major is missing from their lives, like they are “less-than” somehow. This often leads them to forever pining/searching for that one thing they will love absolutely – and not truly enjoying where they are or what they have.

What if you don’t have one passion?
You may have heard me talk about “sparks”, what I call those moments and experiences that bring you a jolt of joy, curiosity or interest.

What if, you were to start to pay more attention to your personal “sparks” and notice what you are doing, who you are with, what you are thinking that brings about these sparks? When you do that, you then get to choose more of those experiences deliberately! You may even find that they lead you to a new career or new personal pastime – one of your many!

If you want to learn more about this idea….

Video – Listen/watch Elizabeth Gilbert’s talk – she talks about the “flight of the hummingbird” and having a “curiosity driven life.” This talk was my inspiration for this months topic
Article – Your Career Calling
Book – Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher

ReBoot your Energy

 

Lately I have been observing some interesting things happening with my own life and have heard some inspirational stories from others; all surrounding the act of re-booting Energy.

Re-booting energy could mean

  • Adding more joyful activities
  • Creating more space in your day to breathe
  • Getting more grounded

It is the “more” of something that we lose when we

  • Get too busy with life
  • Focus on too much work, not enough play
  • Go through the motions without coming up for air

Too often, we notice it’s time to re-boot when we start “acting funny”

  • Suddenly more tired than usual
  • Snapping at our loved ones (or ourselves) more often
  • Making more mistakes

When your computer is “acting funny” what do you do most often? Re-boot.

Why re-boot?

  • When you are depleted, it can make every action feel like it takes more effort
  • When overwhelmed, it can make every action feel like it is insurmountable
  • When too tired, every action/thought can feel much heavier

What is your re-boot?

Some examples of how this shows up in my life……

I realize I need to re-boot when…..

I am thinking too hard/too much about “how” to do something that seems big.  I love to “know” stuff and when I don’t know enough, it can make a project seem so daunting, that I get stuck and don’t move forward with it.

My re-boot….Take a larger view. Step away from the project for a little while; talk it through with a trusted friend/colleague to see it from different angles, and most importantly for me, find the One step I can do to start.

When I am attempting to get too much done in too little time.  I am a get-it-done person. While that serves me well on many occasions, I have a tendency to go overboard. When I do, I notice that self care takes a back seat which leads to self-created overwhelm.

My re-boot….Slowing down! I do this through journaling , being around water, listening to peaceful music and meditation – this last one is new for me, something I always wanted to do, and now am doing most days with the use of this new app called Calm.

When my surroundings do not fit the mood I want to be in. I realized my office space was no longer conducive to the energetic and uplifted mood I truly want to have each day of work. It was not bright enough or as functional as I wanted it to be.

My re-boot…Use what I have and build the rest J Painting my office desk white was the best thing I did! It brightened up my whole space in a way I did not imagine. Even on a rainy day like today, the room feels bright and cheerful. Also changed my functional space behind my desk to feel more open and inviting. See pic below

What signs help you see it’s time for a re-boot?

What do you do to re-boot?

Success – it’s a Roller Coaster Ride

“Success means different things to different people… and the  road to success is often paved with challenges and tests. It can be a roller-coaster ride filled with highs and lows and fruitful learnings. One thing is clear — all of us who reach for the stars and actively stretch towards our dreams emerge from our efforts transformed.”  This is quoted from an article on Successtory.com

This idea of success being a roller coaster ride is something I usually share with my clients as they begin their process of career (or life) transition.   When you begin entertaining another path for yourself, it can be scary.  You may be unsure of your direction or uncomfortable with some of the unknowns even when you do have an idea of your path.

Just when you begin to gain some clarity, you may feel more confused.  You feel like some momentum is building, only to be discouraged at the next turn.
Some of these highs and lows happen in a moment, an hour, a day or over several days/weeks.  You can see why it is easy to get stuck and wind up staying right where you are!
So, how do you enjoy the ride on your roller coaster?   Feel the fear and the thrill at the same time!  
When you are on a real roller coaster (no matter how tame or death-defying) you have several emotions happening at the same time – some level of terror and some level of exhilaration.  You are sometimes so scared you wish you never got on in the first place – yet you know it will be over shortly so you hold on for dear life!  When you get off, you are a bit wobbly, but often proud of yourself that you did it, even though you were terrified.  For some of you, the exhilaration of being whipped and flipped, makes you want to go on again!   No matter your tolerance for the real thing, your transition roller-coaster is controlled largely by you.
How to stay the course?
When you know that you will expect some highs, and some lows, some clarity followed by confusion, some momentum followed by feeling stuck, you will know you are “doing this right”.  That knowledge can keep you focused and committed to your process and your growth.
Your transition can take you in many different directions, and the turns and flips along the way can take you along interesting new paths that you could not have planned for but are exactly where you need to be .
Learn to enjoy your roller coaster of success!

Read the full article from Successtory.com to see some great quotes of what success means to some history’s greats.
http://www.dailygood.org/story/1029/definitions-of-success-down-the-ages-successstory-com/