When you set out to find your passion in life, it often feels like an elusive goal. We either can’t pinpoint a single one or we have so many, it’s difficult to narrow down.
When I was younger and would tell Mama I wanted something that wasn’t very practical (I am still hoping for that Budweiser Clydesdale), she would respond with ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” To me that meant it was an impossible, and most likely, improbable wish.
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My goal for this year is to help you in your quest to find your passion in life and learn how to live simply. With that in mind, this post is going to be filled with quotes to ponder, posts to read, and a freebie or two to get you started thinking about what it is you are truly passionate about.
As you read through the posts, it may be helpful to make mental notes, or keep a notebook handy to jot down the things that will be most helpful in your pursuit to find your passion in life, and shift your current lifestyle to a slower, more enjoyable pace.
The rest of the year will include posts that will a) help you determine if a Simple Life is for you using the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why); b) how to make those changes; and c) specifics on different areas of life (finances, homemaking, organizing, recipes, crafts, and more).
If you are ready to find your passion in life and shift from beggar to horse owner, then let’s grab the reins and get ready to ride!
Why Doesn’t the Beggar Ride?
I am always looking for new ways to find my passion in life. Now that I am older and think back on that phrase, I have a tendency to put myself in the place of the beggar. To have a horse means I wouldn’t have to walk any longer. To have a horse means I could get where I needed to go faster.
But having a horse also means finding a way to feed it, house it, shoe it, and care for it. Which means that my begging days would have to end. Or I could stay where I am with holes in my shoes, blisters on my heels and walk everywhere I go.
Sometimes, when you try to find your passion in life, you feel a bit like a beggar. We know we want something better than the life we are living, but we have no idea where to start, or have the energy to even try.
With each thing I find that I want to include in my life, I do a lot of pondering and work through a process that helps me to decide if adding it to my life would be beneficial or detrimental. I am a visual person. For me to think an idea through, I need to see it on paper.
I don’t do this for every idea. Some of them I have are doozies (I am still trying to figure out how to get Budweiser to donate one of their horses) and can eliminate them quickly. But if I am serious about it, I will take the time to think it over in more detail.
My Idea Journal is just a one-page sheet. At the top I have a line where the idea goes. From there, I think about why it appeals to me, the pros, cons, costs, and more. By the time I have thought it all through, then I can make an informed decision on whether it would work or not.
By seeing things on paper, it gives you the opportunity to view an idea from all sides. It almost forces you to see the dents, cracks, and issues as well as the fun, beauty and joy. And when you try to find your passion in life, it helps to know what will work and what won’t.
If you are like me and love to see your ideas on paper first, I am happy to share my worksheet. Just download it and print it out HERE!
If you don’t already have one, it may help to create a ‘Find Your Passion in Life’ notebook. To learn more about how notebooks can help, just read THIS.
You may not need the worksheet now. But as you progress on your journey to find your passion in life, it may just come in handy. Go ahead and get your notebook started. Print the worksheet out anyway and create a section in your notebook labeled ‘Great Ideas’. Then it will be ready to use when you get your next great idea!
Find Your Passion in Life with Simplicity
To find your passion in life with the thought of living a simple life in mind, the first question you need to ask yourself is, ‘Do I really thrive on the hectic, busy, crazy life I am living?’ If the answer to that is ‘yes’, then you may have already found your passion. But if the answer is ‘no’, it’s time to start thinking about how to buy a horse.
I know this quote by Seneca doesn’t follow the horse analogy, but if it helps, think of it as a horse and trail instead of a ship. Either way, before you ride the range or sail the seas, you need to know your destination. Not sure you know how to do that? No problem. Grab a cup of tea. I will help you with that.
Escape the Chaos – Learn to Dream in the New Year
Escape the Chaos – How to Make a Lifestyle Change
To Find Your Passion in Life Means Letting Go
This doesn’t mean you have to clean out your house and donate all your clothes and furniture to charity. But it does mean you have to ‘clean house’ in a different way. It’s time to sweep away the fear of failure and making mistakes.
Failure
We are all plagued to some extent with failure. Either we are embarrassed over a time we fell flat on our faces (and figuratively ended up breaking our nose in the process) or are still hurting over the taunts and criticism of others when it happened.
We can also be our own worst enemy. No one wants to fail. But the truth is, we all do. Mr. Ford is right. If you really are in pursuit of finding your passion in life, you are going to meet failure in the process. The trick is to learn how to shake its hand, introduce yourself, and let it know it has no power to stop you.
Mistakes
We all make them. Mistakes are a part of the growing and learning process of life. Some are small and can be easily fixed. Others are big and require much more from us to make the repairs.
Some mistakes can help you find your passion in life. If the mistake is made because you are working on something you don’t enjoy, take note. It may not be what you need in the first place.
But there are some that aren’t even mistakes at all. This type of mistake often stems from things that are instilled in us from an early age and derive from the societal norms at the time – or even the societal norms of many generations before us.
One way to explain this premise comes from several generations before us. It was considered the man’s responsibility to hold down a job and provide for his family. A man who didn’t do this was labeled ‘lazy’ or ‘good for nothing’.
As more and more income was needed to maintain a household, society let up a bit on that and it became acceptable for a woman to work. But even then, the man was to make a larger paycheck than the woman.
This type of ‘failure’ and ‘mistake’ is called ‘limiting beliefs’. You fall back on societal norms from many generations ago, without seeing how those many have applied then, but do not now.
At times such as these, take into consideration you may not be making a mistake (or failing). Instead, you could just be breaking in a new horse and forging a new trail.
When it comes down to how to find your passion in life, I would have to only half-way agree with Mr. Robertson. I think that forgetting our mistakes would be like forgetting how to do formulas right before an algebra exam.
Instead of forgetting our mistakes, it can be much more helpful to not only remember them, but also what you did and why it did not work (or making sure it isn’t a limiting belief). By doing this, you will know how to progress in a much more ‘intelligent way’ (thank you, Mr. Ford) in the future.
When we identify and face our fears and mistakes it helps us to gain control of them. Once we gain control, we can find ways to eliminate the fear and find a way to correct the mistakes. Overcoming fear and knowing what mistakes were made can also help you to achieve the victory you are aiming for and find your passion in life.
Fears & Mistakes
We all need a little help now and then. To help you learn more about your fears and the mistakes you have made in the past, or to examine the ones you make today, and, in the future, I have created a mini eBook called Overcoming the Fear & Mistakes. It’s yours for the taking – just download it HERE.
Find Your Passion in Life – Become a Child Again
Years ago, I read an article that stated when a child begins to draw, the likenesses to nature are much closer to reality than after an adult tells them how it should look.
Whether that is true or not, it does resonate with me. A child’s heart is primarily pure. It sees the world as it is, but still has the ability to imagine a better more colorful, joyful place to be. It isn’t until adults or others tell them what ‘should be’ or ‘shouldn’t be’ that their imagination starts to dwindle.
On the journey to find your passion in life, it helps to look at each thing you love to do through the eyes of the child you once were and spend less time listening to others who tell you your dreams or passions are impossible or are a bad mistake.
I am very passionate about weaving. I was passionate about if from the first moment I laid eyes on an old loom in the fiber room of a local Plantation. This loom took ‘my eyes were bigger than my pocketbook’ to new extremes. It was close to 10’ wide and 15’ tall.
But it was truly love at first sight. From that point forward, my goal was to one day own a loom and learn to weave. No one really understood why I wanted to learn. Some even rolled their eyes. But I didn’t listen to them. It took another 10 years or better, but I finally realized that dream.
Fast forward quite a few years. Life seemed to get busier, and my weaving was put on hold to care for other things. Even being covered with a sheet, my loom seemed to be breeding dust bunnies.
It took my seven-year-old granddaughter to reignite that passion. She was visiting for Thanksgiving and wanted to find a craft she could do. I pulled out my potholder loom, a bag of loops, and a crochet hook. The next thing we knew, we had potholders stacked on tables, hanging off doorknobs, and used as ‘gifts’ that were left on everyone’s pillow.
Seeing the glow in her eyes and the smile on her face struck a match to the embers of my passion for weaving. My loom is now dust free and has been ‘dressed’ for a new project. I also have multiple pin looms, including a bracelet loom I use for more than just a sweet piece of jewelry!
Take a good look at your list of passions. Think through each one – from the supplies you need to doing the actual work. Find the ones that start a smile on your face and will light a spark in your heart. Then make sure you highlight those. Once you finish, you may very well see a pattern emerging, and be well on your way to how to find your passion in life.
The Simple Life – Slowing Down and Loving Every Minute of It
All too often, when I mention living a simple life, folks have this mental idea of what that means. In their minds eye, they see me hoeing a garden or feeding my chickens in overalls and mud-spattered boots.
In reality, living a Simple Life has nothing to do with gardening or chickens, even though both could be a part of it if you want it to be. It just means you find your passion in life and live at a slower pace. It is less cluttered with busyness for the sake of being busy and fills your days with things and activities that mean the most to you.
For me, living a simple life means a focus on God, family, home, a small farm, eating home-cooked meals, growing a garden, and canning the excess produce, and pursing creative activities.
Shopping to me is a chore, so you won’t find me at the mall on the weekends. Instead, you may find me in the kitchen learning more about baking bread, in the craft room working on a project, or even down at the pond sitting on the prayer bench with a good book or visiting with a friend on the swing.
And yes. An ice-cold glass of lemonade and a plate of fresh baked cookies are often on the table nearby. But I couldn’t do these things if I spent all my time away from home, running errands. I wouldn’t be able to spread my wings learning something new if my time was spent in traffic, waiting for the light to turn green – for the fifth time. And it really is true – working 12 to 16 hours a day really does make Jack very dull, and he misses out on the enjoyment of life in the process.
Are You Ready to Get Started Finding Your Passion in Life?
Be sure to keep reading more in the Simple Life series. Get ready to learn some new things, gain perspective, and find ways to eliminate old habits and establish newer, healthier ones that align with your new lifestyle choice.
And to give you a heads up – the Overcoming Fear & Mistakes mini eBook is just one in a series of Learning to Live a Simple Life workbooks. These will all work hand-in-hand with my upcoming Simple Life Workbook that will be offered in my Marketplace soon.
And be sure to sign up for my newsletter. There are even more freebies that are for Subscribers only. Don’t miss out on the extra fun!
Stay tuned for more Simple Life! And in the meantime, just grab a glass of lemonade (or a mug of hot chocolate), settle in, and Relax & Enjoy!
