We have all heard the saying "Take time to smell the flowers" feeding your passion can be seen this very same way as well. First before you can feed your passion, you have to identify and find your passion. Sometimes the road may appear narrow, beaten or in some cases nonexistent. Do not mistake this narrow path as a dead end; it's sometimes only the beginning.
Everyone has something they are passionate about. I've met people who are passionate about Love, people who are passionate about Dance, people who are passionate about Animals, people who are passionate about Art, and people who are passionate about Photography just to name a few. A common misconception is "there is no room for my passion". Because someone has seen the passion of others they feel their own personal passion has no place, well this is just not correct and that is one of the first thoughts you must give up before you can move forward. We may touch on what we do with the product of our passion at a later date but know this: having passion and feeding passion is personal and is something you own, it does not warrant critique, criticism or jealousy from others, it belongs to you.
This year I am making a point to feed my passion and I have suggested the same to many people. You do not have to be part of a special club or have the most expensive tools to feed your passion. You don't have to be perfect to reach out for your passion. You do have to have the determination to do something about unlocking your passion and the willingness to do something with it, to feed it. It is one thing to say you love music and are passionate about music, now identify what about music you are passionate about; is it that you love to sing, or maybe even love to write songs, or you might just enjoy listening to music.
For some this is old news, take forward motion toward your passion. Just saying you have it doesn't keep it alive. If you want to dance, identify what you like about dance, get up and do it. Sometimes this means enrolling in a dance class, attending a workshop, finding a teacher or mentor, going to the ballet.
I have a few simple suggestions that I will share regarding forward motion, at the end of each day, answer these questions:
1. What did I do that addressed my passion? This could be anything from the grandest gesture to the tiniest details...a kind word, taking time to gather information, a phone call, starting a to-do list, taking a photograph.
Now once you've come up with at least five things, move to number 2.
2. What did I give to others today that benefitted them? (Yes giving back feeds your passion to move forward).
Now come up with five things here and go to number 3.
3. What difficulties did I cause others today?
Wow you might say, the beauty of this question is that it requires you to step back from your own viewpoint and see the world from another's perspective. Do not just look for mistakes you may have made, instead, think about the impact you had on others today. In a perfect world you would not have caused difficulties for others but we all know we do not live in a perfect world so as crazy as this last question may appear, answer it honestly to yourself and allow for forward motion.
Do this daily and you will find the road to your personal passion becoming much clearer and fed. All artists need continual growth to feed those things they aspire to be better at. You cannot buy the passion; you must physically take forward motion toward your passion. Sometimes things will appear to slow you down but do not give up, so you are not moving as fast as you had hoped to but you are in fact moving forward and feeding your passion.
I hope this post answers perhaps one question of what to do next as we feed our passion in 2011 together.
I'll be attending Imaging USA in San Antonio Texas, feeding some of my passion.
Keep Seeing The Light♥
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