Do Things You Love
“Life is short, and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us, so be quick to love and make haste to be kind.” — Henri-Frédéric Amiel
Life is a journey full of hills, valleys, bumpy roads and smooth roads. Sometimes, life is predictable and other times, it is not so predictable. There are periods where everything seems to go well and other times when it seems like you are a magnet for negative distractions and situations. No one goes through life free from some sort of trial or suffering, but what everyone has is the opportunity to adopt a positive perspective no matter what they encounter. Let’s face it, tough times will show up, people will let you down; you will experience loss, failure, setbacks, and more. Therefore, you can choose to focus on the negative things or focus on the positive things in your life.
Attitude is everything in whether you live a life full of passion and purpose or regret and resentment. I’m sure you’ve met individuals who have been through recurring hardships and still come to work with a positive attitude. They have learned life lessons through their trials and embrace a positive perspective, regardless of the circumstances. How do you learn to live a life full of passion and purpose, even when life does not go as planned? It’s important to recognise that how you handle your emotions determines whether or not you will live with passion. Emotions are energy in motion, so if your emotions are primarily negative, you are living life bound by emotions that keep you down. In other words, you will be passionless. On the other hand, if your emotions are primarily positive, you will live a life full of passion, joy, peace, and purpose.
To live a passionate life, you must embrace life with all your senses. That is, don’t hold back connecting with your emotions, rather, embrace them, experience them, process them, and let them go. This is the healthy way to handle emotions. You may not love every aspect of your life, but you can attempt to do things you enjoy. Do things you love. Life gets busy with work, kids, chores, stress, etc., so it is vital to engage in activities you love. The feelings that will arise as you engage in such activities will refresh and invigorate your spirit and enable you to live a life full of passion and vitality.
What do you love to do? Stop right now and think about it. Make a list of things that warm your heart and bring you joy. Now commit to doing those things more frequently. Try new experiences, rediscover the joy of doing old things, make new friends, treat yourself to activities that enliven your spirit, pursue that career you are passionate about, take your partner out for dinner and a movie, cuddle up with a good book, buy your struggling friend bags of groceries, etc. You will smile more and passion will flow like a domino effect in your life. You may even inspire others to live “life” differently as well. Make the effort. Do what you love.
Bring Your “Whole Self” Into Each Experience
“Do you know what it’s like to give your whole self to a person, and your whole heart to boot, until you’ve got nothing left to give-and then realize that it still isn’t what they need?” — Jodi Picoult
Do you realise you only know the “iceberg tip” of most people? What this means is that people usually only show the good side of them. Like the brunt of an iceberg is submersed under water, the not-so-good side of people is buried as well. No one likes to show their “whole” self because it’s humbling to admit you have a darker or struggling side. To live a passionate life, bring your complete self into each experience; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m not saying you have to act out character defects, but that it is alright to be the true you; the real deal. When you enter a romantic relationship, often your partner mirrors your darker side. In essence, they bring to surface issues you have with yourself. We must own these issues by processing them. In doing so, we will find freedom and be able to live life more passionately.
People who approach their death bed often look back with remorse at how they wish they made more time for their loved ones, or completed things they said they were going to do but never did. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Find out what makes your heart sing and get busy doing it. You will discover passion and purpose like you never have before. Planning is great, but be aware that life does not go as planned. Allow room for detours and pit stops. If you release expectations how life should unfold, you will feel more free and passionate about life. Expectations are premeditated resentments. Certainly, you can have goals and action plans, but don’t be so rigid with them that you are stressed out all the time. Relax. Release. Allow.
Make Room For The New
“Today I do a mental housecleaning, making room for new, positive thoughts.” — Louise Hay
Just as computers need to be upgraded every so often, be prepared to upgrade aspects of your life every so often. Make room for the new. Change is inevitable and healthy for individuals. The same old stuff day after day can get quite boring. Release the tired, old programs, perspectives, beliefs, programming, etc., and make way for the new and you notice you are living life more passionately in no time. I assure you, if you put these practices to work, you will see a change in your perspective and your life. You can live a life full of passion and purpose! Focus on these key points for 30 days and see how your life changes in just one month. Little by little, you can reinvent yourself from the inside out to find enjoyment in life more palpable.
Tony,
Thanks for this article. You make wise points about following the heart and not denying the parts of ourselves we don’t like.
That type of authenticity is the way to true happiness.
Jim
Thanks for the comment Jim. Yes you’re correct, since if we deny aspects of ourselves each time someone brings them to the surface, how can we heal and grow into a ‘higher’ version of ourselves. I never said it was easy – but well worth the journey of self discovery. Best wishes in the interim.
I’m going to take on some of your points during my Christmas holidays. They seem so easy but I’m happy that you have allowed 30 days to change my life. Great words of wisdom!!
Good work Mary. Implement with ease and don’t be rushed to get anywhere too soon – Best wishes!