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What is Your Passion
My Passion? Hmm…
“What is your passion?” Someone asked me a week ago. I couldn’t believe myself fumbling for words. I didn’t know the answer to the most basic and simplest of all questions. It was like one of those moments where you wake up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and notice your freckles the first time. “Damn!” That four letter word pops up in your head. I felt the same way. I realized that perhaps I had been using quite a bit of my brain all my life and in the process of sharpening my intellect, I had turned a complete deaf ear to that feeble and whimpering voice of my heart. Well, lets say that I had been pretty much successful in keeping a check on my surging emotions and trampling them whenever needed. I almost believed that the concept of 'follow your heart' was made for losers. "Shame on you!" Ok that's what I can hear some of you mumbling right now. It's alright....I can take it. I admit I was wrong but don't blame me...that's the way I was raised.
Leading unhappy lives
I’m not sure how many of us do get an opportunity to do what we really love to. Most of us get trapped in the vicious circle of paying our bills, putting food on the table and saving for the future. It’s sad to see how lives get wasted in the process of keeping up with the needs and standards of this materialistic world. There are millions of people out there somewhere, struggling to make both ends meet, to carve a better future for their kids or coping with the exorbitant medical bills of their ailing family members. How dissatisfied, disgruntled and disillusioned lives most of us live! The worst part is that we don’t even realize the abuse we inflict on our body and mind, until one day, we end up, in the painful silence of some intensive care unit. Laying there hooked up to those horrendous respirators, we get ample time reflecting on the years we might have spent killing our desires either to keep our jobs or making sacrifices for our loved ones. Some of us might even quietly shed tears for not having done things which were supposed to be done or for those things which could’ve been done differently for creating a better life.
Knowing yourself is important
It surely is horrifying for anyone to see one’s own precious life being frittered away before experiencing the real happiness which a soul is duly entitled to. No one would want to leave this world with a bag of regrets on one’s shoulders. We all know that a soul chooses to incarnate on this planet for fulfilling some unfinished work or to satisfy unfulfilled desires but most importantly, to know its connection with the Creator and to get aligned with His energy. Ironically, soon after being born, a human being so brilliantly integrates himself with the matrix that he completely forgets the purpose of his life….the purpose of his coming back to this earth. Well, most of the times it’s solely due to our circumstances and a few times due to our own complacence that we go off track and forget our life-purpose. For instance, in my case, if I would’ve told my parents that I wanted to be an artist, a writer, a painter or for that matter a spiritualist instead of a doctor, engineer or a lawyer, they would’ve surely disowned or abandoned me …probably driven me crazy enough to take my own life. Sounds extreme? Believe it or not, that was the kind of family system I was born in. I chose to give in to their wishes back then ….and now ….after living forty years on this planet already, I don’t know who I am or what I like anymore. After ages, a sudden snap of one simple question (what is your passion?) catapulted me back to my source and had me thinking who I really was and what I turned myself into.
Follow your dreams
It’s very important to have a dream in the first place but more important is to make that dream a reality. Pursuing a dream might not fetch you enough money but it does guarantee inner happiness, contentment and peace. Doing what you’re cut out for, brings the best out of you and makes you feel well grounded and stable headed. Each one of us is unique in our own special way. We all have our own set of strengths and weaknesses. All we have to do is to dig into our hidden potential and bring it out for the world to see. It’s just possible that your passion, apart from giving a booster to your inner growth, might serve the greater good. I wonder sometimes what could’ve been the fate of people like Steven Spielberg, Sachin Tendulkar, Mother Teresa, Edgar Cayce, J.K. Rowling, Picasso, M.F. Hussain, Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and for that matter scientists like Einstein and Steven Hawkins, if they had not chosen to ‘follow their heart’. They gave this world so much to cherish, remember and be grateful for. All these great people I mentioned have one thing in common…..they followed their heart and did what they were best at. Just like the head, heart too has its own instincts which exist in the purest form; unlike those of the head, the instincts of the heart are more subtle and subdued but they make an individual downright modest, loving, creative and above all non-judgmental. People who follow the instincts of heart may achieve success after a great difficulty but when they finally do, they feel like having ‘lived it up’. Don’t you agree?
Do you know what your passion is?
What is your Passion
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Comments
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happypuppy: I couldn't have agreed more. you're absolutely right. Thank you for sharing your views.
What is your passion? I'm sure many of us have encountered that question or have asked ourselves numerous times already. There are people who know their passion as a child and have carried on that passion into their adulthood. While on the other hand, there are some of us who stumbles on "What is my passion"? Our lives are shaped by our family, friends, and daily experiences.
Everyone has his or her passion - maybe it's hidden and has yet to be discovered, if you don't already know it.
Just listen to your heart and it will guide you to the right path. Be happy!
- Author
4Tune: I agree with all that you said. Its so kind of you to have spent so much time reading this hub. Thank you for your wonderful words. Keep coming back. :)
Beautiful and insightful, and I could not agree more with what your are saying directly above me here about being trained to see ourselves from others perspectives.
Sometimes others may have a twisted or even sick perspective anyhow and listening to their opinions could only bring disaster for you to believe in anything they are saying... So nothing wrong with getting selective on who you would choose to listen to as well I would say ; )
Yes it is best to break that pattern and create a new one.. "A new you on your own terms so to speak."
And as you had mentioned in the Hub = It’s just possible that your passion, apart from giving a booster to your inner growth, might serve the greater good.
It's a struggle no doubt because their will always be those who fear and don't want to see come about the greater good, knowingly or not, so it's up to you to move forward with or without their approvals or opinions.
May you keep moving to higher grounds forever and ever.
Bless you.
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Hi Jay! Yes, we always see ourselves from other peoples' perspective which is very wrong but thats what we are trained to do. It needs considerable effort to break the existing pattern and create a new one. Thx very much for joining in.
Wonderful hub anjali. But u knw wat so many pple are afraid of following their dreams because they think what they are doin is insignificant. PPle only want to please others without realizing what their own potential is. Anyways I have bookmarked it. It is an inspiration to read this whenever one feels low. Keep it going
nice hub..im ur fan now !
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HI James! Yes, I know writing is your passion which is why you are so good at it. Your write ups benefit all those who read them. This simply amounts to working for the greater good in your case. Keep it up. :) Thx very much for stopping by. Its always nice to have you visiting my hubs.
I have nearly always followed my dreams, my passions. Right now, my passion is to write. So, here I am. Thank you for an excellent and inspiring article. I think you are right on. :D
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Hi Gavin: Good to see you here (after a long time). Hope your business is doing well and I hope you're following your heart. :)Thanks very much for your encouraging words. Its always a pleasure seeing you drop a few lines in my hubs. :) Take care.
Thanks a lot Anjali for this hub!.
Thought provoking and heart listening.
And i like what you said about serving the greater good
RIGHT ON!!
Love,Gavin
- Author
Hi Jim:
"First bamboo sleeps, then it creeps, then it leaps."
Wow! That was something for me. Does make sense. Is that going to happen to me....lets see. Thank so much for your inspirational and motivational words. :)
Hi Buddy :)
"Right now my passion takes extra time without giving me monetary returns but I admit that it gives me something that money can't buy. It gives me peace, confidence, contentment and a purpose to live. Do I need anything else?" :):)
No! Right now you don't need anything else but I do know that many people myself included overestimate what they can accomplish in maybe 6 months or a year but underestimate what they can do in 3 years or 10 years. All bamboos are fast-growing plants. In fact, they are among the fastest growing plants in the world.
Some species of bamboo grow so fast you can almost see them grow. In Japan, one species grew 119 cm in 24 hours but There's an old Chinese saying: "First bamboo sleeps, then it creeps, then it leaps." Patience little grasshopper and soon you will leap! :) You will look at your paycheck and say Damn! :)
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Duchess OBlunt:
Its so nice to see you here in my hub. Would you believe it if I said that I was planning to go to your profile page this evening as I read your name / title in Rebecca's hub yesterday. She had mentioned some wonderful things about you and that really inspired me to know you more (thru your hubs). I so much appreciate your thoughtful and kind words.
Dohn121: Yes, its primarily about the culture we grew up in. As I mentioned in my reply to 'my-success-guru's' post, herein above, my only regret is that I could not turn my passion into full time work as that way, I would've got a feeling of living my life to the fullest. That is the only difference in following your heart at an early age vs. pursuing your passion later in life. I'll certainly read your hub later tonight. Thanks very much for sharing your views here. :) Your kindness and grace reflect in your words.
My only regret in my life is that I didn't read this sooner! I can understand and empathize with you the part of Asian culture that we live up to our family's expectations. My parents wanted me to become a doctor but I expressed to them my passion for writing. It really is the ONLY thing I want to do. My career in such is still in the works :)
One movie that reiterated the importance of following my heart is Dead Poet's Society. If you haven't yet seen it, I highly recommend it.
If I could, I'd like to invite you to read my hub:
https://hubpages.com/literature/stay-the-course-fo...
By the way, it's never too late to follow the urges of your heart! Thank you for sharing such an inspiring hub.
Dohn
Wonderfully written. Thank you, it's always good to have this type of encouragement to follow our dreams and find out passions.
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Hi Rebecca! Its always a pleasure seeing you reading my hubs and leaving comments too. You already know how much I value your write ups. Thanks so much for boosting my courage ..to write more. :)
another great hub by you, and yes I know what my passion is, and that is writing to help others, if this means anything to you ( which I know it does) I see it in your writing which in wonderful and intelligent and perfect. Consider this rated up and stumbled upon.
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Hi Jim:
You really made me laugh with those opening lines of your post. I guess you know a lot about me. You're perhaps right. When confronted with that unexpected question, it felt like.."where do I begin" or "whats there to say" but the fact is that I did fall short of words. Yes, its true that now, at this stage of my life, I do what I want to do but if only I had the support, guidance and permission to follow my heart when I was younger, I would've turned my passion into a full time job. I can only imagine how wonderful things could've been if I had got an opportunity to integrate my passion with my regular work. Right now my passion takes extra time without giving me monetary returns but I admit that it gives me something that money can't buy. It gives me peace, confidence, contentment and a purpose to live. Do I need anything else? :):)
- Author
loveofnight: Bill Cosby was so right. Often times we are faced with situations in life which (sort of ) position us on the crossroads...one leads to our own happiness and fulfillment and the other, towards the success and joy of our loved ones. A tough choice to make and everyone is guided by one's own free will. No comments here. Its like the old saying...."you can't have the cake and eat it too".
The fact remains that we feel so empty and wanting (like you said)each time we put our own desires aside for the sake of others but I guess thats was life challenges are all about. As we grow older we become wiser and learn to strike a balance between our duties and passions...we learn to synchronize the heart and mind. Thanks very much for sharing your views.
Hey Ajali!:)
“What is your passion?” What? Are you kidding?! Sometimes we just need a little reminder of what we already know but in your case I think your mind went blank because it was more like "Damn where do I begin?!" LOL I can tell you are very passionate about your family, making a difference in people's lives by exploring the complexities of the human mind and confidence building' to young adults.
PLUS:
Chakras, Paranormal, Spirituality, peoms and 'save environment' campaigns!
www.waterharvesters.com
WOW! That's alot of Passion! I could go on and on but I won't. LOL
"It was like one of those moments where you wake up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and notice your freckles the first time." Damn!” This last phrase is funny as hell! It makes me want to say "Damn!" ROFL
Take Care Buddy!
Knowing your passion is very important, I fear that without it there can only be imbalance and lack of fulfillment.I was once distracted from the right path because I too often put the desires of others before my own and I was always left wanting.One of my favorite quotes by Bill Cosby is "The key to failure is trying to make everyone else happy".It took me a long time to free myself but I did it.Life is too short to just go through the motions of life. Once I knew that thing that stirred me with great passion then and only then did I find peace.
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Paradise7: I guess many of us live with this uneasy feeling for most part of our lives that we haven't been involved in something which brings inner happiness. Even realizing that something needs to be done is a big step forward. So, good luck to you too. Thx for encouraging me all the time. :)
Terrific hub! You said what I've been thinking just lately, and said it VERY well! Thanks!
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Hi Sophs: I'm glad if this hub helped in some way. When you pursue your dream finally, do write to me. Thanks very much for your appreciation.
I love this hub! It's brilliant and so inspirational, definately bookmarking. This hub has encouraged me to make my dream a reality! Thanks for sharing anjalichugh :)
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Sage Williams: How very well said! We realize the difference between good and bad only after experiencing the 'bad'. Thats perhaps why 'knowledge' differs from 'wisdom'. Unless one goes through the life process, wisdom cannot be attained. Like I said in my hub, it took me 2/3rds of my life to understand what I am cut out for and what I should be doing. Thx very much for your wise words. I really appreciate.
anjalichugh - A beautiful hub and so very well written. Sometimes we must go through the forest before we see the light.
It was through embracing the darkness that I was enlightened to the many blessings in disguise.
As I wrote in my hub, underneath it all I have come to realize that we are all spiritual beings. In the middle of all the chaos, I learned to be aware of my senses. I learned to not only hear but to listen to what my spirit was saying to me. I learned to trust and to follow. I learned a way out.
Today I have the ability to seize the moment, to indulge in silence and to seek out what truly matters in life.
Follow your passionate heart,
Sage
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Money Glitch: If money pours in from the passion we pursue, I guess no one in the family will have a problem with our pursuits. It seems money is a big stumbling block in the 'pursuit of happiness'. Good to see you here after a long time. Thank you for taking time to read this and share your opinion.
Great Hub Anjali -Wouldn't it be so wonderful if everyone was able to do what they love initially rather than going through that period of unhappiness because you're working at a job you hate.
As more and more people begin to follow their passion with success like the ones in the video, maybe parents will begin to encourage their children to find their passions early and to embrace them. Great job!
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Hussains: I agree. Work seems as interesting as pursuing a hobby if what you're involved in, is your passion. Thx a lot for stopping by.
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Hi Angela: Yes, I agree. We have to somehow strike a balance between the two but as you said, by the time we are able to do this, we realize that 2/3rds of life is already spent. I guess that happens with 99% of people across the globe. Very few lucky ones get to make a living out of their passion. Its a pleasure seeing you here. Keep in touch.
Hi Rebekah: I too feel the same way as far as the quest for exploring something new is concerned. I too have a restless mind...a mind of the seeker. Speaking of my passion, I am satisfying the desire of my soul in the form of writing and energy healing. It gives me a lot of peace and contentment. Would love to see you here more often. Thx for your kind words.
We work to fulfill our needs but we perform if we are passionate about what we are doing. Passion brings about pursuit for perfection and success. Thanks for sharing a great hub.
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Hi Marie: "Following one's passion is honoring our soul."
I completely agree with you. Would you like to share some of those 'heart techniques' (you mentioned)in your next hub. I'm sure it would be an eye opener for many of us. Thx so much for for showing your consistent support. You make me feel loved. Thx again.
Universal Laws: Thats exactly what I said to one of my colleagues the other day. The mind needs to be quietened so as to be able to hear the inner voice and that can be achieved by meditation only. One needs to subdue the chaos inside the mind before even stepping on the ladder of spiritual evolution. Ultimately we all need to fulfill our life purpose and why should we not make a sincere effort to achieve the objective in this very life. Thx you very much for your valuable insight. Your hubs are a treasure of knowledge on this subject. I love reading your write ups.
what a nice hub to read on a sunday afternoon. I love this and the video is wonderful! my passions? some I have already fulfilled, and they are still within, but in different form.
I have endless curiosity about life, so always learning, questioning, listening and teaching, sharing with others what I learn. a passion for expression with words and writing. a passion for helping to bring happiness to our world. I love what you share about the heart having its own intelligence, its own energy. the poor heart must sometimes scream to us to listen. if only parents would raise their children to listen to 'life' instead of rushing them everywhere to do this and that. thumbs up! :)
Great Hub and in-depth thoughts on this subject. Somewhere, in between making a living and following one's heart is a formula for combining the two -- I'm finding more insight into that formula comes with age and experience. Is that an answer? No, but it's a start! Best, Sis
Great Hub.
To follow your passion its a good idea to begin to quieten the mind!!! A formal meditation - sitting quietly with your attention on your breath or a simple mantra is all that is needed - not some airy fairy approach to meditation.#
When your mind is quietened from real formal meditation sessions you will begin to hear the small still voice of your inner. You will, over a period of time change your brain wave frequency during your waking life. When this happens you wont be trying to "understand" why your inner is saying the things it will say to you. If you begin the real discipline first you can then begin to follow your fascinations which are the sign posts of your real blueprint.
Processing on your past parental programming will be the other discipline to carry out because this will come back at you as your saboteur if you have not healed all the patterning.
Your passions led by your fascinations are who you really are........
Love and blessings
Linda at UNIVERSAL LAWS
Anajali: There are scientific studies by the HearthMath institute that proves the heart has an intelligence that is separate from the brain, and its important for one's overall well being and expression to listen to the heart, not only our analytical mind. I do some of their heart techniques when I want to relax or get into alignment, and wow, the results are very quick.
And... I feel its a shame most of humanity, including myself, got into careers or jobs because of family pressure, and the financial obligations we start getting into when we build our lives. Following one's passion, feeling the joy of getting up everyday to do what we LOVE sends healthy, electrical signals to every cell in our body and keeps us healthy and vital. Why not? Following one's passion is honoring our soul. I have the opportunity now to follow my passion, even if its now my middle years, so I am glad you wrote this, I am just being complacent. Its never too late, we can follow our passion, or create a new passion whenever we have the intention courage and will; the universe supports us in surprising ways.
Thank you for writing this; have bookmarked it and giving it a thumbs up!
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