If you’re waiting for your passion, you’re doing it wrong

The closer I get to living my passion in life, the more afraid I become.

You’re probably confused by that statement because I, of all people, should probably already know my passion in life, right? I love coaching and writing, so those are my passions … right?

Eh … it’s not that easy.

If you haven’t acquainted yourself with the idea that your passion in life is not a “thing,” then I invite you to brush up on that, because I won’t go into that all over again right now.

Suffice it to say that, the more I accept the fact that my passion is not a title, a career, or a job description that fits neatly into a box (like “coaching” or “writing”) … and the more I embrace the idea that my passion is actually a collection of values and feelings (like consciousness and freedom) which often get expressed through avenues like coaching and writing … the more afraid I become.

LET ME BACK IT UP AND START FROM THE BEGINNING

Most everyone, when they start out, craves the security of wanting to label their passion as a “thing.” It appeases the logical brain to think that your passion could fit neatly into a category like photography, engineering, nursing, teaching, coaching, etc.

And wanting it to be a “thing” is convenient because it places the fulfillment of your passion safely outside of the present day. You get to say things like, “When I’m a photographer, then I’ll get to be happy and fulfilled.” And since it often takes a long time to actually become the “thing” you believe your passion is, then our fulfillment in life becomes something we’re constantly chasing, and rarely something we get to feel in the here and now.

I used to buy into that, too. I thought that, as soon as I became a certified coach, or as soon as I had a successful business, then I’d get to be fulfilled and passionate.

But, to be honest, doing it that way proved to be completely ass-backward and unfulfilling, to boot. I was never happy or fulfilled now … I was always impatiently waiting to feel how I wanted to feel.

THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE TO ADMIT, BUT …

The truth is, my desire to coach and write has very little to do with coaching or writing.

When you boil my motivation to coach and write down to its deepest, purest level, what emerges is my desire to be a force of magic and awakening in the lives of others.

I consider myself a sort of “life alchemist,” if you will.

I’m deeply driven by transforming consciousness from one state of being to an entirely different state. The magic and awakening that happens for people from that deep level of transformation is nothing short of miraculous and mind-blowing. It inspires me to think that my coaching or writing can, and do, permanently alter people’s thoughts and actions for the better.

And yet, like I mentioned earlier … the more clearly I see this underlying drive behind my passions, the more afraid I become.

Why? Well … because I don’t need a business to live a fulfilled, passionate life.

I don’t need Clarity on Fire to be a force of awakening, magic, and transformation in people’s lives.

{Please hold. Minor freak-out moment in progress.}

THIS MEANS I, AND YOU, CAN ALWAYS LIVE A PASSIONATE, FULFILLED LIFE

Sure, it helps to have a coaching certification, a blog, and a business. All of these things are avenues through which I can express my passions in life. But I can be a force of awakening, magic, and transformation at any time without needing any kind of label, official documents, or stamp of approval.

I could volunteer. I could smile at someone who’s having a bad day. I could listen closely to a friend who needs to talk. I could bring magic, transformation, and awakening to people in infinite numbers of ways, all of the time.

You can do this, too.

The reason this is so scary to me, and I imagine to you as well, is because it means I have full responsibility for “growing where I’m planted.” In other words, it’s my job (and yours) to bring my passion to the world, instead of expecting the world to deliver my passion to me.

TRUST ME, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT EASY

I’m not saying I expect you to forget about how stuck you are, or how unfulfilling your job is, or how desperate you are for a change. There’s no doubt that all of that sucks, and you’re allowed to feel that way.

I am saying that if you want to feel more fulfilled, energetic, and inspired today, then you need to start bringing your passion to the world instead of waiting for it to come to you.

Today, be a living, breathing force of whatever you care deeply about, and watch how things change.

Tell someone you’re grateful for them. Commit a random act of kindness. Take a two-hour lunch break with a good book. Go for a hike and soak up the fresh air. Spend a little extra time with your pet. Donate money to a good cause.

Because what I know for sure is that you’re not likely to get transformation, gratitude, respect, empathy, compassion, space, magic, bliss, movement, kindness, energy, love (and on, and on) … unless you’re willing to give it.

THIS IS FOR YOU, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S DEEPLY DRIVING YOU

No, you don’t need a business, the perfect résumé, grad school, or a dream job in order to feel passionate and fulfilled … but you do need to know what your deep underlying desires are. {After all, if you don’t know what you want to get, you can’t start giving it out.}

If you’re unclear about what’s deeply driving you, then I really hope you’ll consider joining us for the Passion Plan Virtual Experience. The entire second week is dedicated to figuring out what your deepest desires are and how to turn them into a passionate career & life.

Enrollment for the PPVE is closing tonight. We’ll be doing this program again, but not until late September/early October.

Our process is one that we’ve refined with hundreds of people, and time and again it continues to work. If you’re thinking this might be the right time for you to figure out your passion in life, take a few minutes to check it out:

So, how do you feel about being reminded that your passion isn’t a “thing?” Scared, like me, or something else? Let us know!

Much Love,

Rachel (+ Kristen)