Are You Living A Passionate Life?

One of the most important steps in living a balanced life is making sure you are investing your time in meaningful activities that you are passionate about.

According to a Harris Interactive survey, only 20 percent of working North Americans are passionate about their work.

This is an alarming, and mostly sad statistic, and I can definitely understand why. I can definitely relate.

When Elisha and Elyssa were toddlers, going back to work was an unplanned and unexpected move, but necessary under the new circumstances that single motherhood brought with it. At that time, I wasn’t focused on my purpose, I was focused on our survival.

I remember how excited I was when I was given the opportunity to work at a local law firm as a receptionist. The position later evolved to legal assistant, and the pay increased with the responsibility. This job was an enormous blessing for our little family and it was a confidence booster for me, because I played an important role in serving people through that organization, I was learning skills that were empowering, and the experience equipped me for what I was becoming. I am so grateful for that time!

Of course, if you ask me now, I could tell you I was not exactly passionate about my work. There’s a huge difference between what you are good at and what you’re called to do. And thank goodness we are all called to do different things and in different ways, because the world needs it all to go round.

Do you know the kind of passion I’m referring to? It’s the kind that fills your senses, that energizes you, and makes you come alive.

You know you are truly passionate about your life and your life’s work when:

• You are CLEAR about what brings you joy, fulfillment, and happiness.
• Work takes effort, but doesn’t feel like work, because you’re having so much fun doing it.
• You are effortlessly in the moment: awake, aware, and anticipating what may unfold with excitement and joy.

Like Dr. Seuss would say:

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

Are you in love with your life? God created you to be happy, successful, fulfilled, and to live a passionate life you love living.

In order to live passionately, you must be unquestionably clear about your passions, your values, and your priorities. You must know what matters most to you, and in what order.

That’s why I believe that when you have a dream, it is your destiny to see that dream manifested. When God gives you a VISION, He also gives you the PROVISION. 

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Your provision comes from using three simple steps to create a life you love:

• you must ASK (ask-seek-knock)
• believe (act in faith)
• receive

Because we are 100% responsible for our life results, we must pay mind to the phrase, “be careful what you wish for.”  

When we ask, when we dream, when we wish, we must be unquestionably clear and specific in our request, and the dream that we wish will come true to the extent that we are clear about it. It is a critical part of creating your own fairy tale.

To make this point clear, first imagine you got on your knees, folded your arms, closed your eyes, and bowed your head… then said “God, I want a car. Please, grant me a car.”

Now imagine getting on your knees, folding your arms, closing your eyes, bowing your head, and saying “God, I want a purple car.” But this time, you tell Him the type of interior, the exterior color, the make and model, the year (whether it’s new or old), the terms (whether you can afford the monthly payments or the cash purchase), and specify that you’re going to love driving it to amazing places, in complete safety.

Now imagine you went to the car dealer. Which request would you use to get what you want? Do you think that would make a difference? Of course it would! The clarity of our intention will determine the measure of its manifestation.

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After you get crystal clear about what you want in your life, it is necessary to pick the top five and focus on those. Don’t be alarmed if you feel it would be hard to choose between everything you are passionate about. We can partner to make it easy and simple, and you won’t have to “leave” anything behind. You get to have it all anyway—it’s just not productive to focus on it all at once! The Passion Test, a world-renowned process that will reveal your top passions and life’s purpose, was designed to help you do that, because it may be difficult (and counterproductive) to do that arbitrarily or own your own.

You want to do this because Neuroscientists have found that the brain can only focus on a maximum of seven bits of information at a time. Discerning only five items to focus on sets you up for consciously planning the life you crave, yearn for, and desire. It is truly a transformational experience, and I deeply enjoy sharing these tools with moms like you across the globe, then see how passion unfolds.

I invite you to initiate the process of self-discovery in order to start you on your journey to clarity about your passions, because when you go deep into your soul’s desires, and you DISCOVER your top passions, you will define your IDEAL life, on your own terms.

To make sure you get started right now, I am providing you with some questions, ideas, and prompts you can examine and ponder upon. I want you to dip your toes into your passions (for now).

You can use a notebook or journal and take notes, applying them to all the life areas that are meaningful to you as a mom, a woman, and a human.

•      What you loved as a child
•      Traits and qualities you admire in people
•      Books you are drawn to
•      What you do in your alone time
•      Where you go in your alone time
•      What you would do if money, time, or resources were no object
•      Where you would volunteer your time, money, and resources
•      Your favorite television and radio channels or shows, and what you feel when you watch/listen to them
•      Magazines you subscribe to or like to look through
•      Where you enjoy shopping
•      What you enjoy shopping for
•      Areas do your family and friends come to you for advice
•      Your best skills – the ones you are most proud of
•      What you love to do indoors/outdoors
•      What you often think, talk, and dream about
•      How you want others to treat you—family, friends, partners, etc.
•      What you think of as “fun”
•      What you consider “relaxing”
•      What you would call “exciting”
•      What you remember about times in which you felt happy and fulfilled
•      The morals, values, and lessons you have learned from your struggles
•      What motivates you, drives you, and get you excited
•      What you most love about life
•      What you hate most about life (makes you angry, frustrated, upset)
•      What you would do if time, money, education, or experience was not an issue
•      What you enjoy doing so much, you lose track of time
•      What you would do when you have arrived at your “ideal destination”
•      What you would sacrifice time, money, comfort, and energy for.

As you sit down and answer these in writing (just thinking about it is not as powerful), you get clearer as to what your passions are, and maybe will identify an underlying theme around your purpose.

I’d love for you to share what you’re passionate about in the comments below. Big hug <3

[ela]