PASSION OR PAYCHECK?

ImageImagine what the world would be like if everyone did what they loved!  We would walk into any restaurant or store and be greeted by a smiling, genuinely happy person who loves to serve people.  We would receive the best customer service wherever we went, because people would truly care and have passion about what they do.  The coffee would be made with love and positive energy at the local coffee shop, food would be healthier and tastier because of the love behind the creative cooking.  People would be more pleasant to one another because there would be less stress from an unfulfilled job or career.  This world would be an entirely different place.  Well, who has the power to change it? Thats right, you do.  If your career is not in alignment with your life passion, it is never too late to choose again.

So perhaps its time to ask yourself, do you work for your passion or a paycheck? Working merely for a paycheck can become unrewarding in time.  When there is nothing to lift or fulfill the spirit on the job, this makes us want to find something else.  And not following through on this can lead to feelings of sadness, depression which then transfer to bitterness and anger, very unhealthy emotions, that do not impact our world in a positive way.

If you are one of those people working merely for a paycheck and not passion, then you are not alone.  80% of people hate their jobs according to a recent US Study.  Although “do what you love and the money will follow” sounds great in theory, there are other factors to consider in this big decision.  

Some of you may have been searching to find that one thing that will fulfill you, asking yourself, “What is my dream job?”  Many people say just “Follow your Passion” but its easier said than done.  So, is that really the best advice?  Its a true fact that 75% of people don’t even know what their true passion is.  But many try to do it anyway before putting enough thought and planning into making a major life shift like following your passion in life.  This is a big decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP TRYING TO FOLLOW THEIR PASSION?
Its what our society has created.  Our culture celebrates the dreamer who beats the odds and succeeds.  However its not how the vast majority succeeds.  I am the first person to cheer you on when it comes to following your dream and soul purpose, however, I do believe you need to set some serious intentions, create a solid plan and put it into action.  People keep trying to follow their passion because they rather do something they enjoy and hope the world rewards them for it as opposed to putting in the hard work.

People often want to turn a hobby into a career, only to find out that the professionals in that category often spend more time on business development than doing their ‘hobbies.  Turning your passionate hobby into a business could have an opposing affect, where you are doing more administrative duties that the creative work that inspires you. If you are the creative type (Life Path 3, for example, is highly creative by nature) consider partnering with others who have a strong business sense (A Life Path 4, hardworking and business oriented, or a take-charge 8 Life Path, the CEO type of person).  

HOW DOES ONE FIND THEIR TRUE PASSION?
Pay close attention to the flow of your life and what is showing up.  The Universe may be delivering something entirely different than what you imagined.  So be open minded, clear the clutter, peel back those layers and begin to expand your imagination.  Spend some quiet time alone, do some heavy duty soul-searching and self-reflection.  Take the observer role of your life for a few minutes and breathe deeply. Nature helps you connect quicker to your spirit, and your spirit is where you true authentic passion lives. Start by answering these 7 questions (will help guide you) and write down the answers in a “My Passion/Purpose Journal”:

What puts a smile on your face?
What do you find easy?
What sparks your creativity?
What would you do for free?
What do you like to talk about?
What makes you unafraid of failure?
What would you regret not having tried?

HOW DO YOU FIND A JOB or CAREER YOU LOVE?
First, you must clearly identify what you’re passion truly is.  Get to the root of the passion.  How it makes you feel versus what the actual activity is. Because the Universe will deliver to the energy vibration of your “feeling”.  Remember, feelings are magnetic!

Second, make a list of everything that you’re passionate about then assign a work title to it.  Be specific. If drawing is something you love, perhaps a graphic designer at a an agency. Think back to your childhood playtime, before society had an influence and adulthood responsibility took over.  What did you enjoy then?  (playing school, arts/crafts, cars, etc.) What was your favorite game? If you say, Monopoly, then perhaps your interest lies in real estate, finance and investing.  If legos was your favorite pastime, then you enjoy building something from the ground up and starting a business or inventing something new may be on your horizon.

Third, You must believe you can. Eliminate fear, doubt and worry – only positive, confident energy and visualize your success every single day. Be sure to surround yourself around others that believe in you too and have less interaction and conversations about your dream with those who don’t back you up.

Fourth, keep the faith! Affirmations have power, reading daily affirmations help accelerate the process (Resource:  Louise Hay, I Can Do It)
 When you hear people speak negatively: “It may be true for some, but not for me. I always prosper no matter where I am or what is going on.”
Reinforce your beliefs:  “I deserve to have a successful career, and I accept it now.”
Eliminate set-backs:  “Limitations are merely opportunities to grow.  I use them as stepping stones to success.”
To eliminate fear of money:  “My income is increasing”
 Unclear of your passion or searching for a new opportunity: “The perfect job/opportunity is looking for me and we are being brought together now.”
To create passion at your current job:  “My job allows me to express my talents and abilities and I am grateful for this employment.”

And lastly, Make a plan and stick to it.

HOW DOES ONE MAKE A PLAN?
Stop complaining about what is not working for you and focus on what you want (not on what you don’t want).  The Universe will give you what you put your energy into. again keep that visual image in the forefront of your thoughts daily.
Set realistic. Measurable goals with specific dates attached to it.  (For example, by July 31, 2013 I will have $2,000 saved to put toward opening my Yoga Studio. By August 30, 2013, I will have $5,000 saved and a business partner.  Sign lease for yoga studio by September 30, 2013 and have grand opening October 15, 2013).  Set specific 30-60-90 day goals and mark your calendar to check your progress at the end of each deadline.
 Network with people in the field of interest.  Learn from their knowledge, successes/failures and experiences.  Find a mentor and a reliable alliance.
If employment with the perfect company is your dream, then narrow down the exact title that fits the description of your dream job and seek a minimum of 10 companies that have an opening for that title – this will make you feel like you have many options.

In conclusion, as a spiritual being, we know this world would be a better place if we worked in our passion zones and encouraged one another to do something they love. So I invite you to do just that.  If you cannot find it in the work you’re currently doing, start doing something every day to work your passion until your passion becomes your work.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
~Harriet Tubman

Author: Wisdom for Wayshowers

A support system that empowers individuals, groups and professionals to thrive while navigating our ever-changing world so that positive outcomes are established for the good of all. We aim to inspire, motivate and awaken the potential within each person so that awareness and expansive intelligence, be it emotional, spiritual or psychological, become a natural way of life. In other words, use this thing called change to become your best self! We exist to nurture the greatness within people, propel global-centric business practices and generate stronger communities by developing confident, capable and compassionate leaders. We accomplish this through offering world-class, professionally instructed, live and online leadership training, life empowerment programs and transformational coaching. We share enlightened perspectives, introduce best practices and provide valuable resources. Our coaching and training programs provide a safe space that encourages growth and activates self-motivating abilities so that one can boldly step onto the path of personal power and purpose. Our vision is to build a bridge from ones harmful ways of thinking to a holistic way of being. We believe building an infrastructure that serves the well-being of all people will create a more harmonious existence for humanity, encourage healthier relationships and enable our future generations to thrive.

One thought on “PASSION OR PAYCHECK?”

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this: