What’s your secret passion? You know that thing our younger self always thought would be part of our life when we grew up. Somehow it just didn’t make the cut, not yet anyway. Like many other things, we get busy, expectations and obligations take over, making it harder and harder to find space for it.
Time isn’t always the prohibitor of the hidden passion. Sometimes we bury the idea, simply because it doesn’t seem possible anymore. That doesn’t mean it’s really impossible. We should do everything we can to remind ourselves of why we loved it, and work like hell to get it into our lives. There are ways you can help reidentify it and get started with a plan to do that.
First of all, remember not to look outside of yourself. That isn’t where it lies. It’s inside of you, and you need to get your mind clear enough to find it. Slow down, think about what you used to love to do, or dream about doing. It’s a personal journey, and it may take a little bit of time and a little bit of peeling back layers before you can hear that whisper. But when you do, you’ll know.
Secondly, it may look very different than it did, or not be as easy to get started, so be prepared for that. However, some things may have gotten easier. Being a photographer, a writer, getting yourself out there with your musical talent, can be started with your phone or laptop these days, and that is much simpler and less expensive than it used to be. That said, as always, it’s important to be realistic and start with small steps. Just because you put it off for a few decades doesn’t mean that the road to your passion project became shorter. It’s still a journey, and that’s ok. It’ll be worth it.
If you’re having trouble landing on what your passion really is, here are a few prompts that really help narrow it down.
You loved to do it as a kid or young adult
Usually, if you look back at a pattern of activities that you loved as a kid, you will find your hidden passion in there. It likes to hide there, since there were no external pressures yet or social expectations keeping you from it. It’s purely and simply a thing you loved to do. Were you always drawing or painting? Did you like writing short stories or becoming a character in an imaginary show? Take your time and think back to those middle school years, and you’ll find something there.
You look forward to it
You probably remember some hobby or activity that you really looked forward to if you were able to squeeze in time to do it. Most of our day to day routine isn’t in the category of things we look forward to, even if we love every part of our day. You can be content with your life and generally happy, and still not be living into your hidden passion. That activity you look forward to doesn’t take away from your otherwise content life, it can only enhance it and make you even happier.
Time flies
Remember getting so lost in an activity that you lost track of time, or time flew by so fast when you were doing it? Even as adults there are things that fall in that category, and those could either be your passion, or can be expanded on to become even better. Let’s say you love making homemade, uniquely designed cards, and you get great feedback from everyone that has ever received one. You do it for hours at a time, without regret. That feels great, right? It might be time to take some of that talent and create an Etsy store. Why not? Thinking of ways to take your passion to the world will exponentially increase the joy it brings to you.
You can go on and on about it
Your passion is something you are always ready to talk about. You secretly hope it comes up in conversation somehow so you can share your feelings. That’s completely normal and it really highlights how prevalent the need to have it in your life is. Your passion project is a light that is hard to extinguish once you start to add it into your routine, and everyone around you will see it.
Finding and acting on your hidden passion is like every other big life event. You feel like you need to start at the right time. Like every other big life event, if you have lived through enough of them, you realize, the right time is when you do it. Only you can take the steps to enhance your life and begin to live into your joyful passion.
Don’t forget about the possibility of turning the passion into a side hustle or even a viable business. There are millions of people doing this today, and they started by identifying something in themselves that could be of service, entertain, or inspire someone else that is right where they used to be. If you are a mom with grown kids, in your 50’s or 60’s and always wanted to be a writer, you can start today. If you become well known as a writer, then you have something you can share with other women who are where you used to be.
Regardless of what the hidden passion is, discovering it is an enlightening journey in itself. Once you find it, then it’s even more inspiring and can only improve your quality of life.
So have the courage to confront any obstacles or excuses you have that have prevented you from a more beautiful and joyful life, and find that passion. You’ll be glad you did.