I have the incredible gift in my life to be surrounded by amazing people, lots of them women, who are absolutely passionate about their lives and what they do.
When I say passionate, I don’t mean like yeah, they kinda like it. I mean they jump out of bed and run cheering into nearly everyday super psyched to get at it. These are people who when I watch and listen to them talk about their work and their lives they make me want to follow them cheering into the streets. I love them.
I am not them.
For years I’ve read author after author, coach after coach, inspirational speaker from local to global audience telling me about finding my passion. I’ve read books on how to find it, done the homework, listened to the podcast, watched YouTube videos, on and on and on.
No passion.
Here’s the deal – I LOVE what I do. Truly. People, their stories, their lives and how they got to be who they are, the way they are. I particularly enjoy when I get to see the Light of the Spirit and where things sometimes get led astray, it absolutely fascinates me. But, it never felt like a passion.
For years I have felt like I was doing something wrong. Maybe this isn’t my calling, maybe this isn’t what I’m meant to do. I have questioned for years why others seem so completely driven, like they can’t not do what they do. Like, it’s their life blood, keeps them attached to this very world, and I have never been like that. I asked and answered a hundred times inside my head, “am I depressed? Is there something wrong with me and I just don’t know it? Why can I not find my passion?”
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always worked hard. I am focused, clear, and intentional. I have built two private practices in my career and am proud every time someone reaches out and says, “my (fill in the blank) told me about you and says you’re amazing”. Thank you. I am proud of this.
But, it’s never felt like passion. I’ve said to people before, “if the day ever comes that I can’t do this, I guess i’ll do something else”. I believe Spirit guides me and knows more than I can possibly know in my humanness.
Again, I love what I do. I love lots of stuff!
I love Mother Nature, gardening, being in the woods, farm animals, bunnies, duck butts, art and reading books, traveling, coffee with my friends, wine with my friends, snuggling with my husband, bear hugging my kid, laughing, and all sorts of great stuff.
But passion?
It’s taken me years to realize I do it differently, but not wrong.
In the Ritberger Color Personality Indicator (a personality assessment I use in my coaching practice) I am a Yellow; logical, analytical, autonomous, creative, intelligent, innovative, self motivated, self reliant. The Yellow personality represents about two percent of the population. Being female, about one percent. It occurred to me, I just experience life differently.
My landing spot on this is simply this; I don’t experience “it” as passion, I experience it as purpose.
I feel a sense of purpose in getting up and being of service in my work. I feel Spirit has led me to this place, this work, and the people who become my clients on purpose, with a purpose. I believe I am Divinely guided in my work, in my life, and things tend to work out for me. I believe when they don’t, there is something else that is of better service to me, and I just haven’t gotten there yet. I get up every morning with a sense of can-do curiosity each day I hope to fulfill.
I know there are lots of other people like me, who don’t feel their work and their lives, but love it, and live it with strength and direction.
People, it doesn’t have to look or sound or feel like someone else’s way. It just has to be your way. Perhaps you’ve struggled to find your passion. Perhaps you just need to look at it another way.
On purpose.
Blessings Galore, Anne
If you’d like help on the passion or purpose journey, connect with me today. I’d love to help. It’s what makes me want to get up in the morning.