Passions – We All Have Them, Can´t Always Name Them
By Mrs. Freud
Have you been passionate about something lately? Some of us have known and groomed a passion since childhood, like my good friend who has been collecting stamps for 67 years. Others have a full enough schedule that they feel they can´t make time to be passionate about anything. Or maybe you are one of those people who are interested in many things and can´t call any of them a passion.
Why even bother, you might ask. Passion is what makes us humans and not machines. It adds color to our lives and the loveliness to our personalities. You have heard people talk about something they were passionate about. Even if you yourself are not interested in the art of arranging flowers, you might find yourself enjoying seeing it through the eyes of a passionate flower arranger, and possibly even learn a thing or two. It is fascinating to see passion in people´s eyes. It is to be envied when we don´t live a passion of our own.
When I see clients for the first time, I get to take them through a process that distills their passions into words. It is always special to see how they open up and get excited about their lives, fueled by their passions. Simply asking, what did you want to be when you were a child gives you a good idea about your own passions. You may not have gone that route in life, but are you living the qualities of that profession today? Say you wanted to be an astronaut and are a book keeper today. Where in your life are you living that sense of adventure, weightlessness and extreme travel today? How have you been able to incorporate in to your life the qualities you associate with an astronaut? We are guaranteed to live an amazing life when we incorporate our passions in some form.
Pet peeves also tell us a lot about our own passions. That´s where we often get clearly passionate, but need to turn it around to get some information about our own passions. Say you really dislike it when people cough in public without covering their mouths. You are worried about the health of everyone around. It says you care about the wellbeing and health of others and might have enjoyed working in the health profession. Even if you are not in that field, there are still many possibilities to incorporate it into your life. Volunteering is a great way to live our passions. It does not take a long educational path and is no big commitment.
Why again do passions matter? It makes everything else bearable, all the little annoyances that life can bring us. They stay just that: little. Losing ourselves in an activity we deeply enjoy, helps us get rid of stress that otherwise builds up to a toxic and dangerous level. It lets us recharge our batteries, get away from it all and come back with a clear view and soulfulness.
When we spend time with something we are passionate about, it lets our creative brain work on problems that seem unsolvable to our logical brain. Carefree, absorbed in the moment, we can experiment, learn playfully and just be.
How do you know you have found your passion? Take my friend from above: Being with his stamps in the living room, he travels the world and is so absorbed that he might forget to eat or sleep. Certainly, you would never ask “are we there yet?,” when being immersed in a passion. It is the best way to turn a moment into a sheer eternity of bliss. Enjoy. More on this topic on my blog: www.healthwithtaste.blogspot.com.
Author Sabine Starr is a psychologist licensed in Vienna, Austria, currently living and working in Mission Hills. She has written numerous articles for professional psychology journals. For further information, visit www.starrcoaching.com and follow her blog at www.HealthwithTaste.blogspot.com.
Category: Life Style, Local News
