In Pursuit of
Passion and Purpose
Sandra C. Strauss
Have you ever tracked your thoughts when reading or hearing stories about people pursuing their passions? Years ago, I traced mine and found they led right to envy. Those lucky souls knew just what to do—they had total clarity, and put their passion into action and were making a difference. It didn’t matter what they were doing. They were on fire!
Each one reinforced my desire not to just flicker my life away. I yearned to unleash my passionate potential and ignite my spirit to the fullest degree. Here’s what I wrote during my own personal quest a decade ago:
I’ve been searching for my purpose
But uncertain where to look
I’ve enrolled in seminars and classes
and poured through reams of books.
I’ve looked everywhere around me
Sought advice from those outside
Who seemed to have the answers,
Were so brilliant, knowing and wise.
My purpose is essential
It’s such a vital goal
For surely not having one
Can really take its toll.
I’ve been searching, searching, searching
but haven’t found a clue,
to find life’s greatest meaning
of what to be and do.
I’ve been “on the path” for so long
I’m exhausted and depressed.
It’s not an easy process
To truly find your bliss.
It’s lonely and confusing
Full of darkness and of fear.
Please, can someone tell me
So my way will be made clear?
Indeed, clarity of what makes our hearts sing is often a long, confusing journey.
The connecting thread woven among passionate souls is the desire to create and to be of service, whether that’s collecting teddy bears for homeless kids, designing hats for cancer victims, or changing laws to serve a better society—their life force is focused and dedicated to a passionate purpose.
However, fired up passion is often inspired from a life-changing experience, a heartache, a tragedy, or awareness of something in need of solutions. It may come with a great price that serves as the catalyst catapulting a person into unstoppable action. Suffering and finding solutions to stop it is what gives rise to non-profits and foundations.
There’s a burning desire within us to know our burning desire. So what makes your heart sing? If you’re not belting out that song on a regular basis, you’re definitely not alone. It is a great longing of most hearts.
Our purpose, of where we want to invest our personal energy, comes from the perspective of where you’ve been, the things you’ve seen and what bubbles upon within you as a result. That takes time.
But what happens if no burning passion is evident. We may be stumped by answering such questions as: If I had the time I would . . . If I had the money, I would . . “If I could do anything I would___________. If I didn’t have to deal with ___________I would . . . . How would you answer these questions?
You might possibly get “I don’t know.” Usually though, deep down we do know. We know what we want, but saying what we want could cause a major heartquake and a tidy life can come undone by poking around and stirring things up. We might have to leave a job, a relationship, get more education, more training, find more money, and other things that complicate life but also add significantly to its richness.
If you’re unclear, are you taking enough time in all your multi-tasking to ponder and probe the answers to what you really, really want? What changes do you want to see in yourself, your community, your world?
To power you up with passion, going on a heart hunt is critical because the answers are buried there. Pay attention to the longings, the nudgings, the rumblings and noticing what keeps capturing your interest--the ones that make you full of envy, “That’s what I’d like to be doing!” Those signals are hotwired to the seat of your soul. Pay attention!
If something is out of balance, not being fulfilled, or not working well, you already know it on some level. Our passions change and so we have to monitor our hearts as well as prepare for a wake-up call!
My call came when I thought I was living my passion, that is, until I awakened to a new reality. Years ago, my job was turning people on to all the nutritious wonders of fresh produce. It was a perfect match--combining my love for food with the rewards of writing and speaking about healthy eating. It all kept my creative juices flowing for a long time.
Indeed, I was a very passionate Princess of Produce, even writing an exotic fruit and vegetable cookbook in my free time. Just hours before giving birth to my firstborn, I was strolling through the produce aisles picking up kiwi and carambolas, planning ahead for recipe testing when I returned from the hospital. I was passionate about promoting fresh wonders to all and fruit juice must have gone to my brain, because I even took a press call in the delivery room!
But even with all that passion, the wakeup call eventually came. After nearly nine years of promoting everything from apples to zucchini, I woke up panicked that I had forgotten to feature a client’s product in one of the video scenes. It seemed like a pretty big deal since big bucks were at stake. Fortunately, I hadn’t done so, but it signaled to me something I hadn’t explored recently . . . my heart.
I shared that midnight fear with a friend. She offered a gift of an enlightened perspective, of what I knew deep down to be true.
“Sandy, I think you just received a wake-up call. Maybe you’re fussing about things you’re not supposed to be fussing over anymore.”
Her wisdom reinforced some deep-down feelings of my own that had already begun to surface but I didn’t want to acknowledge them. It would mean my comfy, cozy world in Fruit and Vegetable Land would be in a big pickle. BUT she was right.
Indeed, my responsibilities included sweating lots of small stuff on details that, in the grand scheme of things, were no longer stirring up my creative juices or sense of meaning. I still loved the creativity of speaking and writing but the subject matter no longer ignited the same sparks as it had once had.
My recipe for "living on purpose" was changing because the ingredients—my time, energy, and creativity—were no longer producing the meaning and significance I hungered for in my life.
While waiting for new inspiration, I wanted to be of service somewhere, so I volunteered and eventually found my calling in jail . . . facilitating a women’s support group and through that eye-opening experience, an awareness of the need for developing and presenting programs for building a successful lives.
I invited my dear friend, a sociologist, to join me and together we learned lots about ourselves in the process. Our program focused on the real truth of these women, of all women, with gifts, talents and strengths to share, even if they couldn’t see or believe they had them yet.
Session after session, as the women became aware of their own self-worth and abilities, we saw faces light up to the possibilities within themselves. The reality that many were imprisoned simply because they weren’t aware of the tools they had inside to carve out success.
Their belief systems needed some work. Many had never received any encouragement or knowledge of the steps and strategies for building a successful life. There were no models. Our purpose was to give them some tools, some questions to ask and to hold up a mirror for them to see the truth of their shining spirits. Sometimes all that’s needed is for someone to shine the light of truth, to show us how we can think and act our way to the life we desire and deserve.
A young woman, whose hardened demeanor had softened as our classes progressed shared with us, “If I had learned these things earlier, I don’t think I’d be here now. Isn’t it a bit weird that all of us here had to land in jail to learn about success? Take these lessons out to so others can go for their goals and not give up on either themselves or their dreams.” People shouldn’t have to ‘do time’ to get it.”
With those words she gave me my own roadmap that inspired the creation of a turnkey training manual for all who want to empower others with the actions and attitudes of success.
I’ve been writing and speaking on personal development ever since and enjoy cooking up ways to be of service doing what I love. Passions change. Keeping connected to your heart is the truest of guides to the fire that kindles or burns within.
Years ago, with a burning desire to fire up passion and know my purpose, my guidance revealed the answer:
Stay tuned to your heart and you will know
Just what you are to do.
The heart pulses with a plan
Listen to its perfect song for you.
How would you like to fill your days,
Since you can create them any way?
Think big! Let your mind be free
of fear traps and negativity.
Give wings to your dreams
Let your ideas soar!
Put your talents to work
And you’ll never be bored.
“Remember this,” the still voice said
Your purpose is actually quite simple,
Whatever you do, just do it with love
And your spirit will always be fed.
Pursue your passion with passion. If it’s still in development, have patience that the power of passion will rise from within. When it does, stir up something juicy with guts to do what you want to do, with grace in a style all your own, and with gusto dancing in rhythm with your truth.
Sandra Strauss is a professional speaker and coauthor of Dancing through Life with Guts, Grace & Gusto—Fancy Footwork for the Woman’s Sole. The book is a collection of women’s awakenings, makeovers and moves for living life in tune with their hearts and sustaining themselves through tough times in search of passion, purpose and power. Guts, Grace & Gusto® programs provide hope, encouragement and inspiration—putting fancy footwork, spirit and balance into women’s multi-tasking worlds.
Building a Successful Life offers units on Self-Esteem, Beliefs/Attitudes, Choices, Values and other success essentials. For more information visit www.GutsGraceandGusto.com; Contact: Sandy@GutsGraceandGusto.com.
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