Reconnecting to Your Passion

“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 Mandella

If you can’t already feel it burning in you, how do you even begin to find your passion?  Some mining may be in order.

Set aside a few minutes when you can relax and are free from distraction.  Get a piece of paper and brainstorm a list of times in your life when you really felt “on purpose.”  Another way to think of this is to recall instances when you experienced a state of what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow.  This is when the external world falls away and you lose awareness of time and the space around you, because you are so fully engaged in an activity.

Go back as far as you can remember and make a list of at least 12 times when you experienced a great sense of purpose.  Resist judgment.  When the voice that says, “That’s childish” or “That’s impossible” pops into your head, acknowledge its presence and send it on its way.  Let your thoughts flow.

Now look at your list and see what is revealed to you.  Are there any patterns?  Is there something that peaks your interest?  What is worthy of further exploration? 

 What does your heart know about the life you are capable of living that your eye may not be able to see?