Episode 35 : Part 3 - Finding your passion: Searching for the holy grail?

Letters to my kids: A suicide survivor's lessons and advice for life

Episode 35 : Part 3 - Finding your passion: Searching for the holy grail?

Music: “Just A Blip” by Andy G. Cohen From the Free Music Archive Released under a Creative Commons Attribution International License

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/how-to-find-your-passion.html

- So what should you do? How to find your passion in life? Here are some suggestions: Ask yourself: Is there something you already love doing? Do you have a hobby, or something you loved doing as a child, but never considered it as a possibility? Whether it’s reading comic books, collecting something, making something, creating or building, there is probably a way you could do it for a living.

- Find out What do you love to talk about, learn about and/or teach others about? With nearly 7 billion people on the planet, chances are that there's a market out there hungry for information, products or resources on your topic. Or there's a company looking for someone with your unique set of gifts and interests to join their team. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, ask close friends and family (the honest ones) what you never seem to shut up about.

- Brainstorm. Nothing comes to mind right away? Well, get out a sheet of paper, and start writing down ideas. Anything that comes to mind, write it down. There are no bad ideas at this stage. Write everything down, and evaluate them later. Notice any themes? What subjects are you constantly gravitating toward? What are you already spending your time, money and energy on? What theme(s) have been recurring in your life again and again?

"There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." -Nelson Mandela

- Ask around, and surf for possibilities. Ask other people for ideas. See what others have discovered as their passions. Look all over the Internet for ideas. The more possibilities you find, the more likely your chances of finding your true passion.

- Love everything you do. From this moment forward, if you don't like something, you've got two choices: stop doing it (quit, delegate it, hire it out) OR love it with all your heart. Anything else is madness. Remember, we human beings are creatures of habit. You can't be whiny, complainy and miserable for 80 percent of your day and expect to be enthusiastic and passionate in the last 20 percent. And if you're feeling really stuck on this whole "finding your passion" thing, this is the fastest way to get your motor running. Know this: Truly successful people are never the victim of their circumstances. They realize they have ultimate power in any situation and take responsibility for their experience.

- Give it a try first. It’s best to actually test your new idea before jumping into it as a career. Do it as a hobby or side job at first, so that you can see if it’s really your true calling. Don’t quit your job just yet. If you find your calling, your passion, don’t just turn in your resignation tomorrow. It’s best to stay in your job while you’re researching the possibilities. If you can do your passion as a side job, and build up the income for a few months or a year, that’s even better. It gives you a chance to build up some savings (and if you’re going into business for yourself, you’ll need that cash reserve), while practicing the skills you need.

- Do as much research as possible. Know as much about your passion as possible. If this has been a passion for awhile, you may have already been doing this. At any rate, do even more research. Read every website possible on the topic, and buy the best books available. Find other people, either in your area or on the Internet, who do what you want to do for a living, and quiz them about the profession. How much do they make? What training and education did they need? What skills are necessary? How did they get their start? What recommendations do they have?

"If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion." -Mia Hamm

- Practice, and practice, and practice some more. Don’t go into it with amateur skill level. If you want to make money — to be a professional — you need to have professional skills. Get very good at your future career and you will make money at it. Practice for hours on end. If it’s something you love, the practice should be something you want to do.

"A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position." -John C. Maxwell

- Never quit trying. Can’t find your passion at first? Give up after a few days and you’re sure to fail. Keep trying, for months on end if necessary, and you’ll find it eventually. Thought you found your passion but you got tired of it? No problem! Start over again and find a new passion. There may be more than one passion in your lifetime, so explore all the possibilities. Found your passion but haven’t been successful making a living at it? Don’t give up. Keep trying, and try again, until you succeed. Success doesn’t come easy, so giving up early is a sure way to fail. Keep trying, and you’ll get there.

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do" - Steve Jobs