Love Your Passion Live Your Purpose

We are flooded with the words Passion and Purpose on the daily. These words that carry so much weight in our lives yet so difficult to find. We find ourselves asking the question, What do they even mean?

Do you believe that what you are doing right now is what you are meant to do with your life? This is such a challenging question to answer, but are you able to answer it? My goal with this article is to help you understand your passion and hop on the road to finding your purpose. 

Passion

Passion is your energy. It is the fire that pushes you to achieve something. Passion is what you feel you can't live without and for the time being, It’s what you love! Passion is powerful. It can often take control of your life and it feeds you into taking big risks that push past your comfort zone. 

It can be a business, hobby, sport, or just about anything. Think to yourself right now, what is that one thing I am super into and feel like I can't live without? Typically that “thing” that you are super into is your passion. Anything you feel strongly about. It doesn’t matter if it pulls you and fills your thoughts, or makes you come alive, then it’s passion.

Being passionate can be a great thing. It will encourage and inspire you even when you face challenges. What I’ve come to realize, is that it’s our passion that directs us in the course for our lives. However, this doesn’t mean the outcome is always what you’d imagined it would be. You might head in one direction, only to find it’s led you in a different direction. But you wouldn’t have started the journey towards the first destination, if it wasn’t for the passion behind it. 

Since passion has so much power in us, it can lead us down a bad path. Passion is about our emotions. It can often be about selfish motives. Passion is smack in the middle of what you love and what you are great at. The problem with passion, is that derives from feelings. It feels good to think “I’m going to follow my passion, so I can do the things I love!” But feelings are exactly what distracts us from our purpose.

Purpose

Purpose is about the reason behind your passion. Where passion is grounded by emotions, your purpose goes behind that. Purpose is your why. When purpose is found, it is the fuel to your fire, It’s your motivation. Purpose has a significant focus and is based on action. Purpose is what completes you.

Your purpose is the reason that you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place. You’re not simply passionate about something just because you like it. There’s a purpose behind that passion, a reason behind that driving force. Your purpose is the foundation on which your passion should be built.

Where passion is temporary and can be all over the place, purpose is much more focused. When you feel passion for something, it doesn’t matter what it is, it can change at the blink of an eye from your own emotions and challenges you are faced with.

Purpose isn’t shaken by failure, or sensitive to the judgement of our friends, family, or peers. Purpose does not stop if our results don’t go according to plan during the first fifteen tries. Purpose doesn’t stop if we mapped out this exact role for ourselves and then fail to obtain it. Each failure is a lesson to learn and we gain more clarity on our purpose.

Finding your purpose is very specific. It is very unique to you. Your purpose is something that will help fulfill your life and make you feel complete. Passion can come and go, but purpose is forever. 

Finding Your Passion

Finding your passion is not a difficult task. In fact, you probably already know what it is. It’s that thing you love! Understanding your passion is important to keep you excited, but don't stress about it if it doesn't come easy to you. I don't think that it’s going to solve your problems and bring you happiness.

I have people tell me every week that they hate their job or they are in school and don't know what they want to do with their life. This is perfectly fine! They are having a hard time figuring out what they love. It's causing so much unnecessary anxiety in their lives. 

My response is simple, I challenge you to stop worrying about finding your passion. I believe the anxious pursuit of finding your passion is only adding fog into your path. Stop looking into your life and only seeing the negative. Do you ever stop to think and admire how many great memories there has been?

What happens when we acknowledge all the wins in our lives? We stop our hyper-focus on the things that are bothering us, and we expand to see the entire roadmap of our lives. We stop looking just for the what we are worried about, and look for what is wonderful and glorious. 

Take a second and think of a problem that has you discouraged. How might your discouragement change if you look at it with a bigger perspective?

Stop looking at social media as inspiration for finding your passion. I'm sure you see business gurus on the daily saying "Figure out what you're passionate about and then pursue it!"

Most of the time the people telling you to "pursue your passion in life" are the people who are searching for it themselves.

Passion changes so quickly. What you’re interested in today will probably leave your mind by next week. Passions are hobbies. Passions are temporary. Passions don’t pay the bills or change people’s lives! My advice to you is this:

Stop worrying about finding your passion and instead do the things you’re currently excited about.

In fact, why not change the momentum of finding your passion into finding your purpose!

Finding Your Purpose

Finding your purpose in life is more important to your joy and happiness than figuring out what your passion ever will be. Your purpose in life is why you’re breathing right now. You’re here for a reason. What’s your purpose in life? God put each one of us on this earth for a reason. Each of us have a purpose.

Let's start by gaining some knowledge on your core values. Answer these questions:

• Why are you alive today?
• What do you want to accomplish with your life?
• What do you want to be remembered for?
• What’s the ONE thing you would do with your life if nothing could stop you?

Purpose is far more powerful than passion. No question about it. We were created and molded with a purpose in mind and you’re alive right now to fulfill that purpose. In a perfect world we should apply our passions in order to help us achieve our greater purpose? That could be the greatest thing you might do even today. 

The more I dig into my purpose I have started to realize it's less about me and more about others. I believe our purpose in this life is to serve. Purpose is bigger and deeper than our goals. The more I found myself failing at achieving it, I question what really matters? I ask myself, what really matters while im on this planet? When I die and meet God face to face is he going to upgrade my seat in heaven because of a successful business? Or for being strong fit, and staying healthy? Or running a sub 3 hour marathon? The answer is NO. I may make myself and others who care about me proud by achieving these things, but no greater purpose is served. God is far from the proud but close to those who are humble. 

How often have you heard someone say about talented people, “He was born to do this.” It is as if the “thing” was their only goal, their only reason for being.

What happens when the “thing” is done or the career is over? He or she gets injured and their career is finished. Does that mean the person no longer has a purpose? This is where we have it wrong. Purpose is the natural flow of our gifts we have been given by God as we serve those we are in connection with. Sometimes we ignore this flow, but it is always there, screaming for attention. How it grows into us depends on our ability to open up to it and the challenges we may be facing at the time. 

Purpose is constant and everlasting. The manifestation of purpose should always be adapting to serve. Passion is about “what” and purpose is about “why” The more honest you are with yourself the more clarity you will gain.

You may be struggling to find your purpose on this earth, it will be challenging and can leave you feeling empty when not achieved. Learn from God that he's what you've been lacking. Do life with God and you will find out what you're lacking, is Him. He is the one who made your plan, how foolish would it be not to ask the creator for clarity? When you learn that God is what you have been lacking you will find your way.

7 Tips to finding your purpose.  

Be Honest with yourself.

Honesty cuts through all of the noise, distraction, anger and indecisiveness. Honesty will boost you to where you want to go. Although you may not know what you want your future to look like, your honesty will give you a vision to your thoughts.

Connect with what is important to you.

Write down your values, really think about what gives meaning to your life. Don't stress if you struggle to identify what really is important to you and start paying attention to what excites you. At various points in our lives we get second thoughts temping us that there must be something better, or there has to be more than what I have. Don't let this be a false search for a deeper meaning. In these moments, your purpose may be calling, but your lack of listening creates temptation to act on "finding yourself" instead of serving others.

Focus on service. How can you help?

Our purpose is not purposeful without serving others. Our purpose needs to create value for those around us. Tap into your talents, but don’t stop there. Focus on using your talents to improve the lives of everyone you are connected with.

Be purposeful and always give 100%.

It's easy for us to be purposeful with one part of our life but not all of it. For example, we may be intentional and give everything we have at work, but when it comes to relationships and our wellbeing, we fall short. Work toward clarifying how your talents can make a difference. Look closely where you are being purposeful and see how it would play out if you were in all parts of your life. Filling these purpose gaps can reveal our real growth challenges and help us gain knowledge on our future. 

When you don't get what you want, Ask God, How are you going to use this? Instead of Why did you let this happen? 

The next time you are experiencing something you didn’t intend or expect, ask God, What can I learn from this? When we are living life based upon purpose, every life experience helps us gain clarity on what is important. 

Think about your talents, what comes easy to you? Is it something you love?

When you’re busy doing something you love, it’s easy to lose track of time. When was the last time you got carried away by an activity? What kinds of things can you do happily, for hours and hours, day after day? What is it about these tasks, specifically, that you enjoy?

Learn from failure

Having the opportunity to fail is an opportunity to learn. Failure is not an end. It is a way of teaching us a lesson or trying to point us in a new direction.