“At the center of your being you have the answer;
you know who you are and you know what you want.”
-Lao Tzu
My husband and I had dinner with a good friend the other day. It was a dinner filled with a lot of laughter. One of the dinner conversation topics was retirement, in particular, our friend was musing over the idea of his impending retirement. He wondered whether he would adjust well to a ‘no need to get up for a job’ lifestyle. His life had always been focused around raising his son and pursuing his career.
I posed to him: “What interests you?”. His first response was that he would like to learn more about neuroscience and how our brain works. His second response, however was more telling. He has a deep passion for renewable energy.
When he switched over the dialogue to renewable energy, his face lit-up and his voice was filled with excitement. Equally, his whole body seemed to expand with the conversation. It was obvious to me that this was his passion. It was making his heart sing.
Upon meeting a new client, one of the first questions posed is “What do you love to do?” Too often, after 10-20 seconds of silence. I hear “Not sure”, followed by an adjoining excuse: “We live such a busy life. There’s no time to think about what I’d rather be doing.”
We are all so busy that many of us completely forget what it is that might actually brighten our day and bring us genuine “JOY”. Essentially, a thought or activity that evokes our passion and makes our heart sing.
I believe strongly that we are born to follow and live from our heart. According to Chinese Medicine, our heart is where our spirit resides. It is our heart that knows our true nature and what it is that we really want. When there is a gap between the life we live and our heart’s desire, suffering is inevitable. All too often, we divert our conscious reality in less than healthy habits: drugs, alcohol, obsessive activities or smoking. All serving to numb the quiet, (sub)conscious suffering, despite that we know our answers do not lie along any of these pathways.
By stepping back and consciously reflecting upon from where our passion is derived, we can re-infuse joy back into our daily lives.
Now, I am not suggesting to drop everything immediately. Instead, I am encouraging that you make a conscious effort to get in touch with your heart. How? Let your mind wander back to your heartfelt desires. Think back to your childhood when you felt no constraints to just “be”. Joy is never far from a child’s heart. Ask any kid. They won’t hesitate to tell you what makes them happy! So, why not regress a little and rekindle your joy. And then act upon your inspirations. Make an effort to do something every day that makes your heart sing, even just for 10 minutes. Sometimes it just takes a minor paradigm shift.
Listen to some old favourite music. Stop and watch the school kids play. And they do know how to play. A quiet smile is your best clue.
And if you still don’t know how to find your passion? Just like our friend, it will be something that makes your face light-up and fill your voice with excitement. Your whole being will expand. How healthy is that!
My passions are dancing, dog-whispering and helping people to find their own path & voice. What is yours?
