4 Intentional Steps to Discover Your Passion

What do you long for? That is a big question, isn’t it?  

Is there something you have always yearned for and have yet to find? Do you feel fulfilled in your life?  

Even if you do, is there still something that still feels beyond your reach? 

As humans, we are constantly searching, striving and reaching for something. Maybe that is part of our humanness, or part of the journey we are here to complete. We often ask ourselves the question…why am I here? Part of the answer to that question comes with discovering our purpose and our passion.  

I see purpose as the bigger picture of what we are here to do in this life and how we are to serve. This may also be our passion, but not necessarily. They are often tied together, since both come from our soul and define who we are. Today, let’s focus on passion. 

Passion is what lights us up inside, what makes our soul sing. It can also be something that drives us, motivates us and inspires us to be more. Passion can bring us joy and fulfillment. It makes us happy and excited about life. Most of us have many different passions.  

Types of Passions 

• Passion for a cause that you feel is important and resonates deeply for you.  
• Passion for your work and what you are here to do.  
• Passion for an activity or hobby that makes you feel alive.  
• Passion for a person that you love completely.  
• Passion for your beliefs and what you know is true to your core. 

In my book, Soul-iloquy: A Novel of Healing, Soul Connection & Passion, the main character, Lily, is searching for what will bring her fulfillment and give her life meaning. For her, it was finding a career that she was passionate about, and also finding a person to share her life with that would ignite a fire within her and join her on her spiritual path. Throughout her journey to find her passions, she learned to listen deeply to what her soul was trying to tell her, and used that guidance to help her find what she was searching for.  

The Importance of Having Passion in Your Life 

Passion comes from our inner fire or spark for life. When we find things that ignite this spark we feel even more full of life, more joyful, as well as fulfilled and content. We have a sense of being connected with our truth and the essence of who we are. We feel aligned with who we are meant to be, and there is a rightness and a harmony with that alignment.  

Not everyone has passion in their lives. A passionless life can feel empty and meaningless. It is often lacking direction and floats along like an untethered boat without a sail. Feelings of despair and depression accompany the emptiness, and weigh a person down with an unshakable heaviness. This is a miserable way to live. We all deserve to be happy and fulfilled! 

The Difference Between Love for Something and Passion for Something 

I believe the difference between love and passion is a matter of intensity and also whether it is a part of your essence, who you are.  

For example, I love chocolate, but I am not passionate about it. I could give it up, and yes, I would miss it, but my soul would not long for it, and I would not feel empty from the loss. If I were passionate about chocolate, I might be a connoisseur, knowing all the different kinds available, how to make it, use it in different recipes, unable to tolerate consuming any that was not high quality, and I would know where to go to find the best. It would be important for me to have chocolate in my life in some way on a regular basis. My passion for chocolate would be a part of who I am. 

Sometimes a love can develop into a passion. I have always loved to read, even as a little girl my nose was constantly in a book. I read books everyday as my pastime of choice. I have had times when I chose to stop reading for a period of time. During this time, I did miss it, but I did not feel any emptiness or grief over the loss. It wasn’t until I was inspired to write a novel, that I realized the passion I have for books. Writing fiction gave me a thrill and excitement that I hadn’t experienced with just reading. It seemed as though a missing piece had finally slipped into place. The picture was now clear and complete, and just felt right. My love of reading led me to find my passion for writing. 

4 Intentional Steps to Discover Your Passion 

1. Connect with your soul, ask for guidance, and follow the signs. Notice any nudges you may be receiving and what they are pushing you toward. Pay attention to synchronicities and signs in various forms. 
2. Look back to what you loved when you were younger. It may have changed or evolved over the years, but may still give you clues for what might light you up now. 
3. Do something daily that brings you joy, and a passion may emerge. 
4. Be open to new ideas, inspiration and opportunities that come to you. Don’t be afraid to take a leap, it may be exactly what you have been searching for, but you won’t know unless you give it a try. 

Set an Intention  

Be clear with yourself about what it is that you are looking for, and set a clear intention for what you want. Once you set the intention to find your passion, begin connecting to your soul and asking for guidance. You may receive images, messages or ideas that can guide you to your next step. Synchronistic events start to happen…maybe you feel drawn to harp music, have the idea that you’d like to learn to play the harp, then the next day meet someone who gives harp lessons. Pay attention to all of these opportunities that start to line up for you. You always have the choice whether or not to act on them, but your soul is helping you out by providing these options. 

In trying out some of these ideas or inspirations, you will find some that are just for fun, some are interesting to try once (then check off your bucket list), or there might be something that you discover really lights you up. This is the ultimate goal, to find what ignites your passion and let your spirit soar.  

When you are in alignment with your soul and living your passions, anything is possible…miracles happen!