I had a great interview with Scott Barlow of Happen To Your Career recently. He awakened me to the concept of ‘the clues lie in your past’.
We were talking about how someone can figure out what they are great at. He is a career coach, so his advice centers around helping people discover that very thing for their career. But this concept goes beyond work, and seeps into passion.
To understand what you are really great at, dive into your past for a minute.
Do you remember when you were a kid? Can you think of what you could do better than other kids your age?
How about, just doing things you enjoyed more than anything? What were those things?
And when you have something in mind, think of something you love doing today, whether you get paid for it or not. Does it resemble the things you did as a kid in any way?
For me, it was the discovery of fixing things and learning how they worked. I always like taking things apart to see what caused them to run. So when I think about all the stuff that I really enjoyed doing over the years, it usually comes back to what I enjoyed doing in childhood.
Even now, I do the same thing as a coach. When I originally received my certifications in hypnosis, I soon came to realize that working with the subconscious mind is basically like working with a piece of complex technology. Our brains are wired for specific functions, but most brains have very different programs running in the background. Working with these programs that run on the technology of the brain, keeps me engaged and coming back for more. I am totally passionate about it.
My passion evolved from what I loved to do as a child.
Scott was right, the clues do lie in the past. What you need to focus on when it comes to finding your passion is what you used to focus on when nothing else in the world mattered. As a child, you were totally present with what you were doing.
As adults, we tend to rational-lies everything we do! We get worried someone might laugh at us, or think we’re crazy (or dumb!), if we say or do something that they wouldn’t do. We actually start sculpting our lives through the eyes of others.
And we wonder why so many people aren’t fulfilled in life.
But when you can pull off your protective armor, and allow the world to see you as you are, your passion will shine through. The first step isn’t always the easiest. But when you’ve found your rhythm, and you end up knee-deep in something you’re totally passionate about, the happy dance will never end.
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