Clebrity Night Shot

Following your passion can be exciting, but a very difficult thing to do. Knowing what your passion is can be even more difficult and elusive.

Many of us dream about doing something with our lives that we are excited about and enjoy doing. But many times, we don't know how we can do these things and still make a living doing them. I am going to share a few keys to finding your passion in life, and to figure out if this may allow you to make a living following your dream and passion.

1. Ask yourself... What are you good at? Everyone has talents, skills and certain aptitude for things that has been demonstrated throughout their life. Have you shown skills with people, selling, teaching, coaching etc? Do you like more technical things and have ideas on how to design or engineer things and make things work better? Or perhaps, do you have hobbies or projects that you like to do in your spare time that excite you? Any of these things could be your passion. Take some time to think about what you like to do, and are good at, and this may help you find your passion.

2. What gets you excited? It could be something that you do at work, a part of your job. Or it could be something outside of work, a hobby, volunteer opportunities, things you do with your spouse or friends. It might even be something you have not done since childhood...just give thought to what motivates you and gets you up in the morning!

3. What types of things do you read about. With information at our fingertips today, internet, cell phones, magazines and newspapers,ask yourself, what areas you usually read about and are interested in. If you were in a bookstore, what section would you immediately head to to get more information? What magazines do you usually read? Think about the topics and areas that you read about to help understand your interests and passion.

4. What do you secretly dream of doing? You may have had thoughts in childhood about being a fireman, an astronaut, a designer, a race car driver. As we grow older, fear and self-doubt holds us back and we "settle" for something more "realistic" in our careers, and never give any thought to what our dreams were when we were younger. Take some time to think about your childhood dreams and make a list of your choices to help you get creative in your thoughts.

5. Make a list of all the things that have been mentioned in this article and pick the one thought that excites you the most. Do some research and read up on it. Find people in that field that are successful to see what they are doing. Make a list of things you would need to learn and improve on, people you would talk to, and skills you would need to master if you were to pursue this activity. Continue to research the opportunity to see if your interest level continues as you discover more information about this "passion".

6. Experiment with the top 2-3 things on your list. Try doing some of the activities on your list to see how you feel when you do it. Does it motivate and excite you, or is it not exactly what you thought it would be and isn't as much fun as you though it would be? After you have taken some time to try this out, ask yourself what motivates you the most out of these activities? Which of these could you see yourself doing for many years to come, even if it's not a traditional career path? Pick one idea to focus on and give it a try. If, after awhile you feel like you are losing interest in the first activity, there is no shame in moving on to your next choice to see if that would be a better fit.

7. Eliminate your Fears! Self-doubt and fear of failure are the biggest obstacles for most people. Acknowledge it instead of denying it in order to move forward. Take small steps at first to gain confidence and celebrate even small successes as you get started. Focus on having fun and believing in your passion. Make it a priority to find the time to follow your passion, even if it means getting up early, or staying up late to do it. Do what it takes to accomplish your passion!

8. Can you make a living at it? This could take months or years to really know, but if you are having fun and knowing that you would do this even if you were not paid, you are living your passion! It is not easy...it requires a lot of soul searching, learning, experimenting, courage, and commitment. But, when you get to the point when someone would pay you for it, all of your time and effort will be worth it, because you are doing what makes you happy and gets you out of bed in the morning regardless of how much money you make.

I hope this guide has proven helpful to you, so that you will find what your true passion is and you can live the fulfilled life that is meant for you. As Confucius said; Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life!