There is a new bug going around but no one is afraid of catching it. Actually, people want to get contaminated and help spread this fever. The lucky ones that caught this Passion Fever are now living a life of excitement. And here’s why:
When you follow your bliss…doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn’t be a door for anyone else.
~ Joseph Campbell
I recently went through a process to discover my number one passion in life. Even though I already felt passionate about life and I thought I knew exactly where I wanted to go, I was astonished by the results.
This test changed my life and how I relate to my number one passion. I’ll tell at the end how this was revolutionary for me and how it can be for you too. First, you need to understand how to uncover your main passion in life. I’m going to lead you through the same process that I went through.
Note – This is a simplified version of the Passion Test by Chris and Janet Attwood. They also offer a free passion test profile.
Catching the Passion Fever
The following are some easy steps to identify your top passions. Get a paper and pen.
1. Find out where you are
It is important to first find out where you are in life. This will be your motivation for wanting to take the test and achieve a new plateau in your life.
Ask yourself the following: Is my life exactly what I thought it would be? Do you feel I could do more with my life? Am I passionate about what I do?
2. Make a list of the top 10 things that you are passionate about
Write down your 10 main passions, starting with the top one. Make it brief. A simple phrase will do.
3. Pick your main passion
This is an important process so pay close attention. Start with #1 and #2 on your list and ask “Which one I’m most passionate about”. The answer has to jump at you very clearly without hesitation. If there is hesitation, read step 4 to figure out how to break a tie.
If you pick number #2, then go on the # 3 and ask: “Between #2 and #3, which one am I most passionate about?” and so on. Do this until you get to the end. If by the time you get to the end #2 was the most important item for you, then that’s your main passion.
For example, let’s say that you had these on your list:
#1 travelling the world
#2 opening a restaurant
#3 studying with enlightened masters
#4 writing a book
Check if it’s more important for you to travel the world or open a restaurant. If opening the restaurant is more important, then check if opening the restaurant or studying with masters is more important. If opening the restaurant is still more important, then you compare that one with writing a book, and so on, until you get to #10.
If by the time you get to #10 opening the restaurant is still more important than any of the other items, congratulations, you found your main passion.
4. Decide ties
When there is a little hesitation before deciding between two items, ask the following questions: “If I could do only one and I could never do the other one, which one I would pick”.
In the above example, if you could only travel the world but you would never open a restaurant, or if you could open a restaurant but you would never travel the world, which one would you choose? This makes it crystal clear which one is more important to you.
5. Narrow it down to the top five
Once you find your main passion, repeat the process five times so you can identify the top five items you are most passionate about.
If on step 1 you identified your main passion to be #2 (opening the restaurant), continue now with #1 and #3. Ask yourself, “between #1 and #3, which one I’m most passionate about?” If the answer is #1, then go on to compare #1 and #4 and so on. If you get to the end and #1 (traveling the world) beat all the other items, that’s your second passion.
Getting closer to your dream by not compromising
Once you’ve established what your main passion is, you can then base your future decisions on that. Before you tackle a new project or take on more chores, check whether these items are in agreement with your main passion. If the new activity conflicts in some way or is not in alignment with your main passion, consider not taking it on.
Only take steps that take you closer to achieve you passion. These are the steps that are going to get you closer to bliss and total fulfillment.
Knowing your passion can change your outlook on life
I always knew that my passion was associated with kids and doing some work in that area. I had a degree in Education, but I got married right after college, had my son soon after, and decided to stay home with him. Two more kids followed, and I ended up staying home with the kids for many years.
Before I took the test, I had all these ideas of what I thought my passions were. After I took the test, I noticed that my #1 passion was my family. This made it so clear to me why I always put my kids before my career and why these years as a stay-at-home-mom were so gratifying for me. In a flash, my whole life up to that point was justified.
Taking steps towards your dream
The important thing is to get started taking steps towards your passion. No one can stop you from living your dream but yourself. If you don’t take steps towards living your dream, that dream may never come. Your life is 100% your responsibility.
There is no better moment than now to take a step towards your passion, even if a small one.
My second passion turned out to be to create a foundation for at-risk youth in Brazil. This has been something in the back of my mind for more years than I can count. Since I live in the US, it was seemed like an unfeasible dream.
Once I found out that this was a very strong passion (#2 behind family), I couldn’t deny it any longer. Regardless of how impractical this dream seems to be, each week I take one step closer to achieving it. I don’t need to know how it will be done. I only need to know why I’m doing it. The rest will take care of itself.
So, what is your passion? What step can you take today towards your main passion? Did you uncover any surprising passions?
With you always in my heart,
Andrea
Google+
Andrea, one of my passions too is helping children and somehow making a difference.
Over the years I have been involved with this school in South India and also coached young people.
Like you I have a lot zest for life and have an interest in so many different things.
I shall be spending time reflecting on my passions the way you have suggested above to get more clarity about which one is the most important to me.
I wish you the best of luck and all success with creating your foundation in Brazil.
Hi Arvind! Great to hear from you. Your project in India is a beautiful one. I hope to create something like that in Rio de Janeiro.
I’m in the beginning stages of my foundation but the mere fact that I’m moving towards something that is so precious to me fills me with joy. The important thing is that I’m working on my goal, regardless of when it will be completed. One step at a time is all that is asked for us to achieve our dreams.
Loving blessings!
Hello Andrea,
I love your blog and how well you communicate your thoughts and ideas. I am delighted when someone is able to make their dreams real. Your dream for helping children in Brazil … I know, you will make real. You have the ingredients – you know what you want, you have a why that ignites you, you are taking inspired action and this puts you in alignment with the HOW.
Continued success – you can make what’s possible – possible.
Hi Adalia! Thanks for your kind words and your support! Just today I got a call from a friend in Brazil with a few more tips about how to proceed with the creation of the foundation. Little by little we can all make our dreams come true!
Many loving blessings!
Andrea,
I love The Passion Test. I got the book when it first came out and it helped me see that I was focusing on all the wrong things. I began to focus on my dream of being a writer/author/speaker on metaphysics and spirituality – and giving psychic mediumship readings full time and things started to line up to support my dream. I’m now in the process of selling my house so I can scale down my financial responsibilities in order to move toward working as a full time writer/medium. It’s amazing what can happen when we pull our dreams out of the back closet and put them squarely in the living room where we have to arrange them, polish them, and dust them at least once a week, so to speak.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful knowledge of catching the Passion Fever!
Wonderful, Angela! It’s great to see how our lives are transformed in unexpected ways once we make our dreams a priority. You are an inspiration of how we can make our dreams happen. Best of luck with you career and selling the house. Loving blessings.
Purpose Purpose Purpose! Once you find this, throw your whole heart into it and make an effort to be the best you can be. This takes time and sacrifice, but with persistence and patience. You can be as effective in this field as you are in the next!
Hi Jonathan! Purpose, persistence, and patience is a great combination. When you throw your whole heart into what you love, you can’t but succeed. There is this saying “Find a job that you love and you won’t have to work a day in your life” (or something like that). Once we find our purpose and we decide to pursue it, everything flows from that.
Loving blessings!
Passion Fever…I love it !
It took me awhile after retiring to learn that a long to-do list is not satisfying if it isn’t built around one’s passions. Staying busy is not the same thing at all.
I wish I had your list a few years ago. I could have saved myself a lot of wasted effort.
Great post.
Hi! Nice to see you here! Good point, just having a to-do list doesn’t mean much if it’s not connected with your main interests in life. Staying busy for the sake of it can drain us and cause stress while working towards our passions gives us fuel and energizes us.
Loving blessings!
Catching the passion fever sounds awesome. I read a quote once by Bob Burg and loved it “The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving” from Bob Burg before and “Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.” All these steps has been written down in a paper. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Justin!
Thanks for these are beautiful quotes. Giving and receiving are totally interconnected but many people don’t quite notice it.
Placing others first is a kind gesture of unconditional love. It seems easier when it’s someone close to you than with people you don’t quite know. In either case, it’s a beautiful exercise.
Thanks for visiting! Loving blessings!
The skill of knowing your passion is like turning up the dial for the amount of color you experience in life.I can say this is really something to live by. Thanks for sharing. :)
Lynne