What is passion? Close your eyes and think about what truly makes you happy. What are you excited about? Anything that brings energy to your life in a positive way and inspires you is a passion for you.
I truly believe that it is our goal in life to find what makes us passionate — whether that be love, a calling or skill, a career, a movement or a cause — and invest time and energy into fueling that fire every single day.
But how do we keep that fire burning among a busy schedule of work, family and the overwhelming amount of other responsibilities that are pulling us in different directions at all times? That, my loves, is the million dollar question.
There are a few things that have helped me to do this and the most life-altering for me has been to be mindful and present in each moment.
This is something I've talked about before, but that's because it has created such a huge chain reaction of positivity in my life that I think it warrants being mentioned often. Once I stopped looking at my days as one long monotonous cycle into the next and going through the motions like a robot, I was able to find the purpose behind each task I was doing. It helped me to weed out what is important to me and what isn't. It helped me realize what makes me happy and what actions fuel my internal fire. It helped me evaluate what I was doing and what I wanted to be doing.
I make time, even when I'm short on it, for myself and the things that make me happy.
It not only helps keep me balanced, but it keeps me connected to what I want and the things that resonate with me. My work schedule has been crazy lately. I spend many hours from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep in front of a computer screen and on the phone. For someone like me who loves to be outside and hates having every second of the day committed to something, this kind of schedule makes me feel burned out and sometimes even resentful. I start to feel like I'm spinning my wheels and that's when I know it's time to take a step back and invest some time into what makes me passionate. I make time to write or take ten minutes to listen to music and stretch. I take a short break and go outside to water flowers or take a quick walk. I think of ways to inspire myself.
Surround yourself with people that not only are interested in the things that you are passionate about, but that support you in those passions.
There is nothing worse than being excited and passionate about something only to have someone you care about deflate that excitement. It is my hope that we all have people in our life that we connect with and who understand what makes us tick. Invest in those relationships.
My sisters are my biggest supporters and my biggest fans. We tease each other mercilessly (okay, mostly they tease me mercilessly because they are much, much more funny than I ever could be), but they always have my back, they always lift me up when I need it, and they always are the first ones in line to tell me I can do anything I set my mind to when I start to doubt myself. I have amazing parents that have always done the same, also.
I have an amazing friend who I refer to as my voice of reason. We have always supported each other's passions and push each other when we need it. She's my voice of reason because even though she is always honest with me and quick to point out when I need to get my act together, she's also one of my biggest fans and supporters. She always challenges me to follow my heart and the things in life that inspire me. I always try to do the same for her.
I think it's just as important to be a positive force in others' lives as it is to have positive influences in your own. It becomes a cycle of giving support and love and receiving it, and what an awesome network of love and support that creates.
While it's not always easy to feed your passions, we know it's important. And having the right people surrounding you makes it easier to feed those passions. While sometimes it may feel like you don't have time or energy to do so, make the time. Giving back to yourself will reap so many benefits in the long run and help you live a happier, more fulfilled life. You deserve it, loves. We all do!