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We all have passion within us; are you using yours?  Perhaps you’re stuck in a job you can’t stand, or you didn’t follow the right career path.  Or something inside is just nagging at you, reminding you that you’re not living up to your true potential and you know it.  Do you know what your passion is?  How do you find it and bring it out?

I found a great quote recently by a famous dancer and choreographer named Martha Graham: “Great dancers aren’t great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.”  You don’t have to be a dancer for this to apply to you.  You probably know people who are fortunate enough to have jobs that they love.  They’re successful, they get to use their favorite talents everyday, and they don’t view their jobs as “work,” no matter how much of their time must be invested.  These people are the “dancers” in the quote, and you can be a part of it.  You just need to find your passion, too.

Question Yourself

Start with what you already know about yourself.  What are you good at?  What are your favorite hobbies?  What did you always want to be or do when you were growing up?  What topics get you excited?  These are great places to begin your personal investigation.  Don’t write anything off just because you think it might not be a big moneymaker.

Research Your Passions

Once you have your talents, hobbies, etc., written down, you can begin research.  Run internet searches, read books on your topic, network and talk to other people.  Someone somewhere has figured out a way to connect this topic to a career path, and if they’re truly passionate about it and not only in it for the money, they’ll be willing to share their knowledge with you and perhaps serve as a mentor in some way.

Follow Your Passions

If you’re going to start your own business, you’ll read many times over that you must begin with a profitable idea; sell something that people will want to buy.  I’ve even written that in previous articles myself.  But make sure you read on and get all the information—your idea still has to be something you’re passionate about and enjoy doing in order to have the greatest chance of success.  If you’re not excited about your idea, how can you convince others to be excited and buy into it with you?  If you’re not excited, you’ll be less likely to put forth all the necessary effort and you won’t reach the level of success you might be expecting.

Perhaps Harold Whitman can put it into perspective for you: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.  Ask yourself what makes you come alive.  And then go and do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Stay Curious

Once you’ve determined what makes you happy, you can start turning it into a business idea, or even just keep it as a hobby for your free time.  You’ll be more inclined to keep learning about something when you’re passionate about it because you won’t view it as a chore.  You’ll be genuinely curious to discover more information about it, learn how to become better at it, and find more ways to perhaps make some income from it.

It’s Okay to Change Passions

Are you finding that your passions are different today than during your childhood?  That’s okay!  Follow what excites you NOW.  You don’t have to force yourself to live out a childhood dream that no longer ignites passion or feels relevant.  As we get older, everything about us changes, and sometimes the change is so subtle we don’t notice it until we’re really taking the time to look within.

Here’s a personal example.  I always knew I wanted to be a writer.  Always.  And I’ve followed through on that, even through school and to the present.  But I have also had a passion for music.  I took clarinet and keyboard lessons, then focused more on singing, then set it aside.  When I entered college, I started off with my writing major, then added a theatre major as well because I discovered in high school that I loved acting.

I had full intentions of following acting dreams after college.  Then I joined a band as a singer.  I realized I should have been pursuing the musical route all along, and that’s where I am now.  I’m still extremely passionate about writing and acting, but my passion for music wins out—and I can easily combine all three while keeping music at the forefront.

I also began working out in high school.  I hated it.  I didn’t want to spend 30 minutes or more a day doing cardio.  Fast forward to just a few years ago.  A friend introduced me to a cardio workout that I absolutely loved.  I stayed motivated, convinced others to try it with my enthusiasm, and today I’m on a journey to become an instructor for the live classes that can be taught in health clubs.

Is it going to interfere with my pursuit of a music career?  No way.  Is it going to be a source of income?  Absolutely.  Is it going to reach the point of providing full-time income?  Probably not.  Will that stop me from putting my full passion into it?  Not a chance.  Will such passion open up a better potential for me to be able to turn it into a successful full-time job?  Very possible.  I can ask myself the same questions about pursuing music and give the same answers.  That’s not stopping me from going full-force on either one.

And it shouldn’t stop you, either.  It’s okay to have multiple passions, it’s okay to have changing passions.  I only encourage you to make sure you’re following them!  Don’t start out pursuing money: “Follow your passions and the rest will come.”  If you do something because it’s what you love, and you put passion into your passion, you’ll open up more opportunities than you ever thought possible.