Like many of you out there in cyber land, I have tried desperately to find my unique passion in the past. Sure, I love my husband, my kids, friends and family – but what about me?
After all, if all the gurus are to be believed, finding one’s passion is the key to everything. Find it, and you can toss in your day job and live a life of abundance.
Way before the book, ‘The Secret’ hit the shelves, I was on the hunt.
I listened to Anthony Robbins’ series of tapes, shouting out my list of wishes to the Universe and placing all my frustrations and anger into my imaginary sack and tossing it in the garbage.
I sat through yoga classes in my search for inner peace, praying that my fellow yogi’s couldn’t hear my stomach rumbling whilst making grocery list in a mind that should have been clear of such human trivialities – BUT we were desperately in need of 3 ply toilet paper!
I attended a Reiki 1 class and then practised on my reluctant dog, convinced that he could feel the Universal energy flowing through my newly enlightened hands.
I read every available self help book from A to Z, enabling my local book shop to pay off their overdraft in no time at all.
I tuned the plug-in-drug into Oprah and sulked with envy every time an enlightened interviewee espoused of finding their ‘ah-ha’ moment.
Well, now I am that smart ass. Yes, folks. I’m here to tell you that I have found my passion.
My author bio states that I found my passion for the written word after being accused of being a notorious exaggerator one too many times. And, sure, it’s true that that was the moment I started writing. And it’s also true that I found solace in writing and I even found that I was rather good at it. But it is not true that that was the moment I found my passion. After all, I was only 13 years old. I had a long time to go before I realised that writing was my passion. So, the first question is: What is passion?
For me, it is doing something that consumes you with pleasure. Something you find yourself lost in time doing: still in pyjamas at five pm, wondering if you had eaten at all that day. Effortless, ‘you’ time.
The second question is: How do you find it?
Well, contrary to those theorists who say that you can ‘tap’, chant, imagine, pray, or re-programme your way to instant passion, I found it through years of life lessons. None of which I knew were lessons at the time. Until, one day it hit me – like a flying fish in the back whilst out surfing (and that’s another story!)
Until my next post – In Passion – Jaci
Perhaps life is all about finding the passion. It sure is fun seeking, with the occasional gem along the way. I find my passions usually have a time limit from a nanosecond to, ummmmm. Currently a touch of photography. “Snap”!
It’s interesting that you were indulging your passion at 13, yet it took life lessons and growth to realise that’s exactly what it was. Your calling. Your purpose. Your true love (aside from the family of course!)
I too found my passion – writing – at a young age. Before I even had my pen license (do kids still have to get those?), I was tapping out short stories on my folks’ old typewriter. Then I grew up. And was pressured into finding ‘the career’. Seeking out a serious life to pay the bills. Though that’s the best thing about writing. Even if there’s a less fun vocation providing the income, you can still explore it every day. You can still find pleasure in it. Whether you’re paid for your efforts or not.
Thanks for sharing
Hi Kat,
Lovely to hear from a fellow child author, if perhaps not so much The Notorious Exaggerator that I was (and that would be a good thing)!I would love to follow you on Facebook and see how your writing is/has/will be developing!
Thanks for your post,
Jaci