Mindfulness, Wellness, Simplicity, Authenticity, Abundance, Presence, Creativity…these are the buzz words we hear bandied about when we seek to make our lives richer. It feels like so many different directions, so many ideals demanding our energy. What if all of these things fell beautifully under one umbrella that we seldom ever give ourselves permission to think about? What if one word could encompass all of those wonderful buzz words? I believe that word is Passion. If you tune your mind and heart to all the ways you need more passion in your life, you will automatically start to give these great ideals the attention they deserve.
I’m convinced that all of us need to increase the level of passion we are thriving on, but here’s a quick list of signs that indicate that you need to stoke your passion fire.
You are constantly frustrated by low energy
Do you wake up feeling tired? Do you hit a slump in the middle of the day and wish you could curl up for a nap? Do you feel clear and alert enough until the work/family day is done only to find yourself like a zombie who can do nothing more than zone out in front of the television? Are you consistently craving sleep over sex? Do you feel like you have to sacrifice rest in order to exercise? Low energy is a classic sign that you could benefit from increased passion. We’ve all been there, especially those of us who have kids.
If this is you, check out this great post on boosting energy from our Club nutrition expert, Jackie McCaffrey.
You feel stuck in the same boring routine
Are you finding yourself looking back on each day feeling like you’ve accomplished nothing? Are you feeling sick of the same places and faces that you encounter as you go from your usual a to b to c? Do you know exactly how each day is going to shake out, and every bump in the road you will likely face? Are you feeling desperate for a vacation that you might not be able to afford? All of these feelings indicate the need to shake up your daily rhythm with an injection of passion.
There is at least one thing you secretly (or not so secretly) wish you could learn how to do
When I was a little girl, I desperately wanted to learn to play the piano. I begged for lessons, but it never quite worked out. First, my Nana bought me a red plastic accordion, which was a horrifying prospect to a seven-year-old. It was promptly returned to the store. A year or two later, she bought an organ, which I found equally uncool and embarrassing. Rather than make lemonade, I snubbed my nose at both.
Now, when I think of the Celtic Funk Band dynamo I could have been, I cringe. In fact, I’m no expert, but I think learning either instrument would have made learning piano way easier down the road. If only I had more foresight. But guess what, friends? It’s never too late! This year, I’m taking advantage of the resources available for free on the Internet and I’m going to learn to play piano. First, I’m going to invest in a weighted keyboard, and then I’m going to hit You Tube with a vengeance. You might even get a recital at the end of it all, you lucky ducks!
The point is not to become a virtuoso, of course. I’m not delusional. I just know that if I explore this yearning, even a little, it will give me another creative outlet and hopefully a beautiful way to beat stress and enjoy some alone time. It’s a purely selfish need to explore an untouched passion, and it’s a selfish need we all deserve to indulge.
Do you have a passion that slipped away? Something you never got to explore in your youth? Maybe there was something you were passionate about in your earlier days, something you did explore for a time, and that passion still lingers. Now’s your chance to pick it up (again) and give it the space and attention it deserves. Just because.
Here’s a coloring workbook to help you name some of those childhood passions.
It’s really difficult to get up in the morning
Is it almost painful to get out of bed in the morning? Do you go to bed at night dreading the day to come? Assuming you aren’t facing any particular/significant work or life stress, this could be your body’s way of telling you that you need to stoke some passion fire. When we fall into a slump, and ignore our need for passion, even the sunniest days can feel like the bleak cold of winter.
Getting quality sleep is also essential for optimum wellness and passion-pursuing drive. Check out this great post by our fitness expert Oonagh Duncan about sleep.
Everything you do is for someone other than you
Moms and dads, husbands and wives, listen up because this one is particularly for you (and of course any of the rest of you who can relate to this). How much of your day is spent in the service of others? How does that make you feel at the end of your day? Probably great, but probably also EXHAUSTED!
Nurturing, serving, catering to our families, friends, colleagues, clients, bosses – this all takes it’s toll on us. Giving is beautiful, and necessary for our soul-satisfaction, but we need to balance all of that selflessness with self-care. If we deplete our inner batteries by pouring all of our energy out to others, we have nothing left to keep that love going. We have to sit back and turn inward to give ourselves some of the passion we need in order to keep that giving fire burning strong.
You feel like your sex drive has significantly changed, and you don’t like it
Our sexual energy is as fluid and subject to change as every other aspect of ourselves. There will be times when our levels of sexual desire wax and wane, but it’s important tune in and understand how we feel about this. You may have a clear sense of how your desire is affecting your partner (if you’re partnered up), but how is your level of desire affecting you? If you are dissatisfied, or longing for a different kind of relationship to sex, there is so much opportunity to inject passion into this part of your life.
Here’s a sweet little check list to print out and get started with. It’s my top ten tips for a sexier life, and there’s even a coloring page for you.
Social opportunities make you feel a sense of dread
You don’t go out like you used to. When asked, you would describe yourself as a homebody. If there is the prospect of entertaining anyone in your home, you feel overwhelmed with anxiety. On the rare occasion when you find yourself at a party, or social gathering, you find it next to impossible to engage in conversation, and end up wishing that you were at home in your stretchy pants watching Netflix.
Social opportunities can act as a mirror to our own levels of satisfaction and confidence. If our lives are lacking passion, it becomes hard to share them with anyone, either by inviting people in, or venturing out to share ourselves with strangers. When you have things that you are passionate about, you suddenly have great ice-breakers, or opportunities to make new friends and meet new people. Your perspective on yourself and on your life will change for the better, and it will be easier to get out there and share your fire.
This is a great worksheet to help you start to name your passions.
The first few steps are hard, but once you take them you're on your way to somewhere new. Click To TweetSit with this post, let the impressions and emotions roll around in that great big wonderful brain of yours. Let them trickle into your heart and soul and ask yourself if there’s room for more passion in your life. If I handed you a bag of passionate sparkle dust right now, where would you sprinkle it? Are there any people in your life who could use some passion sparkle of their own?
