Unleash your passion

Passion should not be restrained to extra-curricular activities, but can be brought to life at work, writes Cecilia Yeung

Imagine living a life aligned with your passion and waking up every day full of energy and excitement about the day ahead. Living your passion is not a luxury or an indulgence or reserved for the lucky few. It is something that each of us deserves to discover and unleash.

When your passion is realised, it creates a vibrant energy that is fulfilling, meaningful and purposeful. Every single one of us has a cause, a purpose and very unique gifts and talents to share with the world. As motivational author Harvey Mackay says, "Find something you love to do, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."

Nowadays, the quest for meaning and life passion happens when one is faced with career instability, corporate downsizing or a stalemate in an otherwise successful job. People are now asking and probing more about the path to realising passion in life and work. My clients often say, "I want to discover my passion and have no idea how to do it" or "I know what my passion is, but it's too impractical to turn into a career. After all, I have bills to pay."

We recently organised a "Live Your Passion" workshop, targeting those facing these questions. For those who did not manage to attend, what are some other ways to explore this innate passion and bring it to life at work?

The first thing to realise about discovering your unique passion is that it has been within you since childhood. It is largely based on one's natural gifts and talents, which are unique and were clearly demonstrated during your early years. As a child, you were at your most creative, exploring your gifts, and at the highest level of your learning capacity. We tend to dismiss these childhood dreams, but they could well be the key to your hidden passion.

Ask yourself:
1. What can you get totally immersed in for hours, so that you do not notice time pass?
2. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
3. What would you do with all your time if money was not a concern?
4. What would you do if you did not care what people thought?
5. What would you regret not doing if your life was ending?

This is the start of an exploratory process that may reveal many pleasant surprises. Some may discover a passion for writing, design or adventure and a love of nature, teaching or working with children. With this knowledge, you can start expressing it with new training, extra-curricular activities or a career change. For those who already have a pretty clear idea about their passion, working with a coach or a group of similarly-minded individuals may support the path to its manifestation. No matter what stage you are at, it is worth investing time in this as it can bring many rewarding returns.

Indeed, as Douglas Gerber, the facilitator of the "Live Your Passion" weekend event, noted, "Your passion is an essence of something you love doing... and it can be expressed in more than one way. It is a gift to the world; somehow you impact the world through doing it."

Acknowledgement Cecilia Yeung, managing director of SpringBoard Resources, is a motivational speaker and business/career skills trainer with the mission to inspire others to live the best life possible. SpringBoard offers unique motivational seminars and workshops as well as development products and coaching services.

Taken from Career Times 2003/11/14