Passion

A guest posting by Jimmie Perry.

We’ve all had periods in our lives when we are wondering how we would develop a sense of direction.  How exactly, or when exactly, we would develop that thing called passion that everyone was talking about?  Well, passion is something that we should all develop; we must understand this.  Very few people are born knowing what exactly it is that they will be doing for most of their lives.  Heck, many people don’t even know what exactly they want to do.  That is because passion isn’t something that one is born with.  Passion is something that is developed with time, experience, and commitment.  The method for finding your passion in life can be found by reviewing the life of one of America’s founding fathers, Good Ole Ben Frank.

We are not born with a passion

For starters, passion is not something that anyone is simply born with.  We don’t just come out of the womb and know exactly what we want to do for the rest of our life; it takes time.  Passion comes from a love for doing a certain activity.  A love, or hunger if you will, that stays with us for an indefinite amount of time.  Acquiring passion in any one area requires that we are presented with a desire to solve or understand a problem.

Passion comes from a desire

Most people do not know this about Benjamin Franklin, but he was extremely passionate about putting out fires.  He saw that the fires that were flaring up in his city of New York were causing a serious problem and he sought to find a way to reduce the damage that they caused.  Do you think that the passion to put out fires was something that Ben was born with?  There is no way that he could’ve known about fires at the time of his birth.  His passion for fires was something that he developed as he gained experience with them.  He saw that they were causing massive amounts of people to get injured.  He noticed that the fires weren’t being put out efficiently and that the fire squadrons played a big part in that inefficiency; there essentially was no system.  The issue that arose with fires gave Ben something to focus his energy on which in turn resulted in an insatiable hunger within him.  In short, one of the key parts of finding a passion is finding something that fulfills your desire to solve a problem.

Experience is key

It wouldn’t have been at all possible for Ben to solve the problem if he hadn’t been present when the fires were taking place; he lived in New York and was seeing the damage that the fires were causing.  Again, if he hadn’t been present when the fires were happening, he probably wouldn’t have had the desire that he had to solve the epidemic.  He wasn’t born simply thinking of new ways to make fires more of a rarity or thinking of new ways to make individuals safer; he had to see the fires for himself even to begin thinking of new ways to improve the human condition in that way.  The same goes for all of us; we must go out (or stay in) and experience the things that happen in this world.  We must see all the possibilities (or at least a great many of them) and once we do this we will gain a bit of insight into the things that give us our drive; the things that make us whole, if you will.  We don’t have to explore the world in a physical way.  The world has become increasingly digital in the past few decades and there are now multiple things that can be done in the digital world.  One never knows, you may find comfort in this space as well as your passion.

Cross things off your “Passion List”

A side effect of exploration is that it becomes possible to gain an understanding of the things that we dislike doing.  Our understanding of our dislikes can be leveraged in our quest to find our passions; as you cross things off of the list of your possible passion, you get one step closer to finding the thing(s) that you love and want to do.

Consistently pursue that passion

Remember that neither Rome nor Benjamin’s method for stopping fires developed in a day.  To be honest, Benjamin didn’t even make any major headway in his fire prevention system for a year.  Neither will the thing that is considered your passion be built in a short space of time.  It will require a decent length of time before compound interest begins to show that you are making any real headway into your project; while you are in the process, you may not even notice the progress that is being made.  The point is that once you find that passion, you should relentlessly pursue it.  Don’t allow any lack of progress or apparent failure to stop you from moving.

In short, passion comes, but it’s a process

Passion is something that we can all develop, but it requires a great deal of both patience and exploration before it is ever really found.  This point must be reiterated because so many have trouble understanding it.  Our passions are things with which we become infatuated.  They are problems that we can’t help but put forth countless hours and energy towards solving; they move us.  You will not know exactly what it is that you want to do right out of the gate.  None of us knows what it is that we want to do right away, without any thought or preparation.  If we did, think about how dull life would be; we would literally know what the future held for us.

With that being said, the key to finding our passions in life amounts to these three things:

• Experience: Go out and explore (or stay in and explore)
• Reduce: Reduce the number of things that you like doing to a select few
• Be consistent: Once you find your drive, pursue it relentlessly

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Jimmie Perry is the owner of JimmiePerry.blog and an avid trader.  In his free time, he enjoys writing about the experiences that he has had, and trading.  He is also currently working on his degree in Business Administration from Madonna University.

Cultivating Happiness

"Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars."  Frederick Langbridge

When you get up in the morning, do you feel full of joy and energy, ready to face whatever the Universe throws at you?  Are you a "Good morning God!" or a "Good God, morning!" kind of person?  Do you look up at the stars or down at the mud?

I have met many people who seem to have everything anyone could wish for and yet they are miserable.  And I have met plenty more of very humble means who are joyful and full of passion.  How can this be so?

Happiness in this life is not down to what you own.  It is not down to the friends and family you have around you.  Not that I am suggesting for one minute that we should not strive to better ourselves.  If you have read much of my blog you know I feel quite the opposite.  And I am certainly not suggesting we should not try to surround ourselves with good people, with people who bring out the best in us.  Of course we should!  But what I am saying is that the most important thing is how you feel inside.  It is not the circumstances themselves that make you happy, it is how you react to them.

Please read the above paragraph again.  It may be one of the most important lessons you will ever learn!  If you want to be happy, then be!  And who does not want to be happy?

Begin addressing this first.  Before you try to do anything about gaining wealth and possessions.  Before you try to do anything about changing your relationships.  Before you try to do anything about changing your circumstances.  Because once you have learned this secret you are better placed for a happy life than almost everyone around you, no matter what their own circumstances.

When you try to do this I can guarantee something inside you will object strongly.  The something inside you that has had you in its power all these years and can now see that power slipping away.  It will tell you that you cannot be happy until ........  The gap is there because what that voice will say will differ from individual to individual, but the beginning of the sentence will always be the same.  "You cannot be happy until ...."  Actually, it will almost certainly come out as "I cannot be happy until ....", because that voice wants you to think it is you - but it is not!  Don't listen to it!  All it knows is lies, but clever, apparently very logical lies.

When you first begin you will probably find it hard to make much progress.  Don't be disheartened!  This is normal.  If it were that easy, then everyone would be happy all the time.  But also don't feel it is too difficult.  It is not.  You have the power within you to do this.  You can feel that happiness spreading from the inside, seemingly oblivious to what is happening on the outside.

Cultivating this permanent state of happiness is a bit like trying to meditate.  When you first try, it seems impossible.  Maybe you get a fleeting moment, and then suddenly a horde of negative thoughts and feelings appears.  Meditation masters tell us not to get irritated when stray thoughts appear.  If you focus on them in an attempt to get rid of them, they have won.  Just accept that they are there and continue cultivating your still mind - and eventually, after many repeated practice sessions, you will find they start to drop away.  Only to attempt to distract you again maybe many sessions later just when you think you have it cracked!  This will happen, too, with your practice in cultivating happiness, and the remedy is similar - just ignore these attacks and gradually they will fade.  Then, later, circumstances will conspire to make you unhappy again, and you will need to focus on cultivating that inner joy.

Don't just take my word for it.  There is a definite scientific basis for what I am proposing here.  Take a look at the following TED talk by Dan Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University.  I actually wrote this article before I watched Dan Gilbert's lecture, and have added this paragraph later.  But it is clear from what Dan says that my experience is not something unusual, not some wacky idea that only applies to a fortunate few.  Long term, external circumstances cannot bring us happiness or unhappiness.  Happiness is something we have to create for ourselves.  Here is the link to the TED talk:

"The surprising science of happiness"

Once you have begun this process you can then address the other issues.  You can make sure your life is properly aligned with your inner passion, which I can guarantee will make it a lot easier for you to maintain this new state of permanent happiness.  But more of this another time!

Discovering and Celebrating Hidden Talents

by

Kristen Clark

Projects we enjoy doing at the office or hobbies we carve out time for during the weekends are good indicators of our talents - natural or learned. These are the activities that help us feel good about ourselves. When we experience the results of using our talents in these areas, we begin to recognize and believe more deeply in our abilities. If you want to boost your self-esteem, follow these four simple steps for discovering and using your talents.

1. Identify current interests. Make a mental note of the activities you currently enjoy and why. Ask yourself what it is specifically about these activities that inspires and satisfies you. Assess your interest and your skill. The things you already like to do are probably things you are also good at doing. Keep doing those things and if needed, find a way to do them more often.

2. Ask others about their interests. Talk to friends, family members, and colleagues about how they discovered their passion and what they did to sharpen their skills. Perhaps you'll find that you have similar interests; if so, you can pursue those interests together. Or, temporarily borrow their interests; try their passions on for size and see how you feel about them. You might feel a little out of your comfort zone, but it may be a worthwhile experience in identifying new and exciting talents of your own. If you decide you don't like something once you've tried it, you will still have gained some great insight into yourself.

3. Research interests online. The Internet is a great way to explore new ideas and opportunities without investing significant time or money in the experience. Explore various online courses to see if anything peaks your curiosity. Check out interest groups, forums, and chat rooms and search for conversations that appeal to you. Identify why the conversation appeals to you and assess if you have the skills needed to participate. If not, take a class and learn how. If so, dive right in.

4. Take community classes. Community classes are an excellent way to discover talents and passions. Most classes are usually local and easily accessible. Many classes are affordable and require little additional knowledge or training. Some classes are offered frequently during the year so you can attend one at your convenience. Once you've chosen a class to attend, you'll get a good idea about the subject over the span of the course. At the end, you can decide whether or not it's right for you. If not, you can move on and try a different course until you find an interest and corresponding hidden talents that meshes well with your needs and desires.

Whatever you do, don't give up. The goal is to build self-esteem by identifying hidden talents. Make an investment in yourself by uncovering your own hidden talents and nurture those talents to your heart's content. Doing so will lead to deep fulfillment and personal satisfaction. And, you might even have some fun in the process.

Negative feelings about ourselves are often the result of low self-esteem, which can impede our efforts to be successful. I am Kristen Clark. Please join me at http://www.hissideofthelookingglass.com, where you'll find Christian resources designed to help you change your mind about yourself, discover WHO you are and WHOSE you are, and build the confidence you need to not only accomplish more but reach your highest potential.