I’ve always known what my greatest passion was – helping people to create the lives they desire – but it took me such a long time before I’ve reorganized my whole life around it. Okay, maybe it didn’t take so long from the objective point of views, I slowly started when I was 22 years old, but it felt like the lifetime!
When you have some ever-present burning desire within you but because of fear, society, family patterns, and anyone else I gave my power to, I felt that I couldn’t follow my passion, it was a real suffering.
I know many people who come to me and say I‘m 21 (or 30, 45,…) and I feel that I waste my life, I understand them. 100 percent. We feel like wasting our lives when we don’t do what we want to. I used to feel the same every day.
I even had those scary dreams with being locked in a room where I was surrounded by hundreds of clocks (together with my dead grandmother). Then all these clocks started to ring at the same time and my grandmother telling me to wake up! Wake up!
She surely didn’t mean to wake up so I could go to school, it was middle of the night. But she intended to wake up in my life. I was sleeping, feeling empty, and without a deeper purpose in my life because I wasn’t living it.
It all started to change for me in 2011. It was a painful transformation as it usually is the case, but it was worth it. It was worth every tear, pain, and moment I’ve learned how to reconnect with my true self more.
I want to share with you what I’ve learned since then.
11 Essential Lessons I’ve Learned Since I’ve Started to Follow My Passion
- It’s about your own path. This is one of the ironies of life. We’re all interconnected and dependent on each other. Other people aren’t in our lives by accident. They teach us and help us grow. But at the end of the day, your path is about you. You cannot stop or give your dreams because of someone else. Your path is all about you! Others can inspire you and help you get where you want to go. But it’s you to set the tone and direction. So if you want to stay in the comfort zone (fears) because of spouse, parent, colleague, or friends, then you sacrifice yourself for wrong reasons. I used to feel trapped in certain relationships until I’ve learned that my life is about me. Not them. They’re just passengers. What do you want from your life?
- The life is short. When I admitted to myself what I wanted to be doing (despite what I studied and was “supposed” to be doing, hello pressure from others!) I’ve realized how many fun things I’ve missed in my life. I looked back, and I saw many missed opportunities. We can all fill our days with some magic and depth if we choose to. The life really feels short if you let it slip through your fingers.
- There is no security. Often we choose not to follow our passion and dreams because of some safety net. It can be your job, relationship, friends, or parents. We have a false sense of security. But regardless where you’re or with whom, it can all change within seconds. The life always changes. You’re the only constant in your life. Undoubtedly, being an entrepreneur includes many unknowns. But would I say that it’s more than in living in the comfort zone? No. Because the biggest risk to me is when you don’t act on what you want because of some false perception that someone or something will save you and take care of you.
- Learn to make decisions. It can happen – depending on your life calling – that there is no one you can discuss your decisions with. And that’s a good thing! I’ve learned that the best decisions I’ve made were those I made alone. It makes sense. Deep inside we always feel what the best decision is but we might not take it because we think that someone else knows better. They might know better, but they don’t walk in your shoes. Your life path is unique.
- The life before was like a long slumber. Do you know this feeling when you do the “normal daily” things, but you feel dead inside? Just because we’re breathing and going to work or school doesn’t mean that we live. And you and I both know it. We can pretend that it’s fine. This is enough for us. We just get by somehow. But when we’re alone, just with ourselves, and we look into our eyes, we know that we’re just shaming ourselves. Before I began to wake up in 2011, I felt I was sleeping. Everything was kind of fine, but it wasn’t “IT.” Are you still sleeping?
- People in my life have changed. Entirely. Our friends are a reflection of where we are at. When we’re depressed and think about the life as everything is difficult, we attract like-minded people. Naturally, when we begin to step into our true self, these people have to go. We don’t find the same things entertaining as before. More than complaining about the life, we want to know how we can do and be more. When this happens to you, please, just let them go. For me, everyone has open doors both ways. In and out. Is there anyone, you know, is dragging you down?
- The sky is the limit. Acting on your life purpose and passions open a doorway for more inspiration and possibilities. It changes our mindset from I can’t do it, or it’s too complicated to wow, how can I make this happen, what else can I be doing? We can only do what we believe we can. I can guarantee you that when you begin to follow your passion, then a whole new universe opens for you. And then another one. And another. It never stops. This is called becoming more conscious – you become aware of the possibilities that you hadn’t realized.
- Following my passion grows me faster than anything else. I’ve always been self-conscious, and growth has been my primary goal. Yet following my passion has taken my growth to an entirely new level. Everything has speeded up. Each new idea opens a new learning curve for me. This is what fascinates me about life. We can grow so much if we want to.
- I had to learn to be brutally honest with myself. You know, sometimes we lie to ourselves. Or better said quite often. Because if we’d be honest about what we want, we’d have to change our lives. Or at least some parts of it. And that is very scary! Actually, it so scary that many people choose to live in lies and illusions forever. And I get it! I used to be one of them. But I’ve understood that if I lie to myself, I’m the only person losing. I’d never know who I’m and what I can create if I wouldn’t dare to be honest with myself. What are the life areas you choose to lie to yourself about?
- Learn to work with my mindset and fears. This has been the biggest lesson so far. We don’t even know how many limiting beliefs and patterns we have until we begin to admit them. Everything in life is about the right mindset. There resides the difference between a happy, fulfilling life and survival. The only person who can stop you is you. With your fears and negative thoughts. We all have a little inner voice telling us what we cannot do and how terrible we are. Learning how to receive the lesson this negative voice for us has and then putting it into sleep is something I advise anyone to master. I wouldn’t be where I am if I’d be operating on the same mindset I was born with.
- Inspiring others. When you follow your passion, you inspire others more than a thousand words. Though, these thousand words have been inspiring, or not? Just as Gandhi said; Be the change you want to see in the world. This isn’t a cliché, it’s true. If you want to help your family and people you care about, be the source of love and inspiration for them. You’ll make them think, and you’ll teach them by being you that they can do it, too.
Call to Action
You can download a FREE printable guidebook with 7 questions to help you find your life purpose.
You can also watch my TEDx Talk on how to find your life purpose.
Originally published at SylviaSalow.com