~~Finding Your Passion~~

True happiness comes when you "do" what you're most passionate about.

When you lack passion, you are at a disadvantage. You cannot focus or enjoy who you really are.

Without the energy and vitality passion provides, you fall into what is called “passion deficit,” the symptoms of which are all too common for a lot of people.

The Symptoms of Passion Deficit

Blaming — Blaming your unhappiness on others is the first and most glaring symptom of passion deficit. When passion is part of your life, you create your own happiness. Don’t look to others; energy and fulfillment come from within.

Longing — Even if you do not feel unhappy, you may think something is missing in your life. You might not know what you desire, but you know something is absent, that somehow and somewhere you should be doing more.

Discomfort — Sometimes a passion deficit surfaces not as a sense that something is missing but as a sense that something is wrong. You probably have experienced this at least once: something is out of sync — some element in your life is uncomfortable. Maybe you work in a field you dislike or for an organization that stifles you. Perhaps you are in a bad relationship.

PASSION is something that moves you in a very powerful way. Passion is an internal experience not an external event. Finding your passion means connecting your head with your heart, engaging that part of yourself that "feels" in a big, bold, spiritual way. For many of us, this is a challenge. Our busy, chaotic lives disconnect us from our feelings. And, when we act from this "numbed out" place, it's impossible to connect with our passions. Lifestyle Makeover Expert Cheryl Richardson offered at step-by-step plan on Oprah's website. Marianne Williamson says that when you find your passion at work, the financial freedom follows! “Passion is energy,” says Oprah Winfrey. “Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

For Oprah, passion did not necessarily mean she always knew what she was doing. Reflecting on her early days as a broadcaster, Oprah claims, “I said I knew how to edit when I didn’t. I said I knew how to report on stories. When I went to my first city council meeting, I wasn’t quite sure of what to do, but I told the news director that I did.” Her passion and willingness to learn were what enabled Oprah to stick her foot in the door. “What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and work that fulfills you, the rest will come,” she says. “And, I truly believe, that the reason I’ve been able to be so financially successful is because my focus has never, ever for one minute been money.”