1. I don’t have a sex life right now, so there’s no point thinking about passion.
When I talk about passion, I’m talking about a whole lot more than sex. Passion is the fire that exists within each of us, and this fire is ignited when we connect with the deepest part of our core, our desire, or our soul. Sure, passion can be ignited in the bedroom, but it can also be ignited when we allow ourselves the freedom to explore creativity, to test our physical limitations, to create sensuality in the kitchen, to bask in the company of well-loved friends and family. Passion is what makes our lives full and complete, and therefore it belongs in every part of your life.
2. There isn’t enough time in my schedule.
I get it, believe me, I do. Life is busy, and every little square inch of free time seems to get devoured before you can even indulge in fantasizing about how to spend it. It’s very, very easy for us to believe there isn’t any time for anything else. Sometimes, for the sake of our mental health, that’s true. But here’s the crazy thing about passion; you can’t afford NOT to make time for it. When your time is spent with something you are passionate about, it doesn’t feel like a chore, or another task on your never-ending to-do list. It fills you with purpose, and believe it or not, energy. Making time each day for something you are passionate about will actually give you the burst you need to make all of the other things happen, and will help you keep perspective when the dust bunnies take over the corners of your house. You won’t care about those little buggers nearly as much, because you’ll be delighting in some quality passion time.
3. I’m too exhausted to think of adding anything else to my plate.
If you’ve browsed through this blog, you’ll have noticed that I devote a lot of space to health and wellness. There are a few reasons for that, but the main one I want to share today is how vital it is for us to be in our best physical shape to really experience our very best life. I’ve dreamed about pursuing my writing passion full time for YEARS. There were always things keeping me away from this, and those things were nearly all myths that I’d created to keep this dream of mine at arm’s length. I had a newborn, there was no time, and so on. When I finally made some huge dietary and lifestyle changes, I suddenly realized how much more I had; more energy, more brain space, more confidence, more inspiration. Darlings, nobody is asking you to be perfect, but I think you deserve to be in better health. Better health will snuff out that exhaustion, and your dreams will be right there for the taking. Believe me, because I believe in you.
I discovered this little gem laying in bed with my son this morning. Some of our greatest passions and purest joys are tied to experiences from our childhood that we learn to lock away as we ‘grow up’. What do you have locked away that you’re yearning to “play with” again?
4. I don’t have the luxury of selfish indulgence.
Just stop it. Seriously. Especially if you’re a parent or a full-time caretaker. This mentality belongs to a generation that were slaves to guilt and religion. We’re bigger and better than that. We’re all evolving. We know that in order to live and love completely, we have to love ourselves better than anyone else. The “selfish indulgence” of pursuing our passions is in fact our raison d’etre. The entire purpose for our existence. God/The Universe/Your Children/Your Spouse/Your Boss/Your aging parent – they all want you to be awesome. Stop pretending that everything else is more important, okay?
5. I’m too old/married/boring/broke for passion.
Are you dead yet? Nope? Good. Does your spouse need you by their side 24/7? I doubt it. Do you have the Internet? Can you use it? Is there a thrift store or dollar store in your neighborhood? Do you have creative friends and colleagues? Great. You can cross these excuses off your list too. With your awesome personal network and delightfully creative brain, you can cull together your resources and find ways to pursue those passions that are roiling inside you. We all have them, and we all have to let them out into the world.
What’s your excuse? Is there a niggling passion that you wish you had more time for? Where do you need help getting started on your own path to passion?
