Do what you love
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What do you love to do? We all have natural skills and abilities- bents that we lean towards. These are our strengths. If asked to explain, you probably couldn’t other than letting people know that you are engrossed in what you are doing- so much so you are happy- it’s the best feeling in the world.
working passionately
What is passion? The Webster’s dictionary describes passion as “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something,”.[1]
One study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2000, looked at 12,000 men over nine years and found that those who failed to take annual vacations had a 21% higher risk of death from all causes, and they were 32% more likely to die of a heart attack. Another study found that disenchanted, burned out employees developed heart disease at a 79% higher rate than those who liked their job.[2]
Its safe to say that working in a job you hate or has burned you out is deadly.
What are the benefits of doing work you love? Some benefits include:
You are more productive
You are a source of motivation to others
Your mental health improves
You are a more effective leader
You are excited to tackle new challenges
You push yourself to succeed even more
Reduces stress
Strengthens your confidence
Enhances relationship
According to Taylor in 2015, “numerous studies have shown that happy people tend to earn higher salaries — and it stands to reason that these high-earners are happy — at least in part — because they have jobs they love.”[3]
If that doesn’t motivate you I don’t know what will. The good news is that we can cultivate passion in our lives too.
igniting your passion daily
You can ignite passion in your everyday life moment-by-moment and day-by-day. It begins by taking inventory of all the things that energize you.
Create moments of passion. We can find passion in every minute of every day. Take a deep breath and breath. Connect to the present moment. What is making you happy? What are you excited about?
Create passion at home. Spending time with my family, instantly ignites my passion. They are a joy and I forget my troubles of the day when I connect with them. More importantly they are the source of my motivation- I do everything because of and for them. Make your home a sanctuary. Create a space that you can retreat to- something that will give you energy and allow you to clear your head. A space that will motivate you to do your best.
Create passion at work. We can find passion at work. Wether its starting a part time business doing the work you love or volunteering for a project that will get you the experience you need. We can tap into passion at work. There is never a one stop shop when it comes to work or even having a perfect job or project. We have to learn to deal with what has been given to us and make the best of the situation. Perception is key. As long as you are leanring and growing and you find something that interests you, you can make the best out of any situation. The truth is, there are aspects of our jobs we can love, if we can change our perspectives.
Another way to do the work you love is to volunteer for something you want to do. Do you see a need in which you can bring help to your organization? Put a business plan together and pitch it to your senior leader.
I also strongly believe in the fact that when you are striving towards your goals, you ignite passion. Make sure that your role is helping you achieve a goal. Job descriptions describe part of what you do, however there is a percentage in which you can mold your role into something that interests you. Stay connected to your supervisor or manager and alert them to your goals. They can look out for you and when something that interests you is available they will give you a shot.
It is very important that you stay connected to what ignites you. There may be times when you go through a tough time. These are the times when you will have to dig deep and stay connected to those that bring you joy- ignite our passion. Serving others is the core at what passion is and if necessary can help you reconnect to those things that bring you happiness and joy.
Let’s start a passion revelotion! I challenge you to ignite your passion and encourage those close to you to do the same. Together we can make the world a happier and healthier place.
[1] "Passion." Mer (Scott, 2013)riam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2016.
[2] Scott. (2013, May 7). Surprising Science: Medical Proof that Doing Work You Love Could Save Your Life. Retrieved from Live Your Legend: http://liveyourlegend.net/wake-up-call-doing-work-you-love-could-save-your-life/
[3]Taylor, N. F. (2015, May 21). 12 Reasons to Do What You Love for a Living. Retrieved from Business News Daily: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7995-reasons-to-do-what-you-love.html