16 Jul Living the Passionate Life

Where did our passionate self go?

What happened to that young girl enchanted by her Easy Bake Oven who loved making food and having imaginary parties with her dolls and any family members she could cajole into joining her at the small table in her room?

Where is the dancer? The child who danced to the bathroom, danced while her mother struggled to put clothes on her, danced in church, and then danced to the dinner table and—with grace and style­—sat down to her father’s applause while ignoring her brother’s mocking.

Years pass between dreams and reality. We grow older and lose the spiritual freedom to dance or make magical meals, or even to see the possibilities. The garden where our dreams are planted gets less and less attention and finally goes dormant. We’ve become accomplished, successful women, swiftly driving, walking, or sitting on airplanes, crisscrossing cities, towns, and countries. Many of us have buried our passion in our work—and are on the verge of tears.

It’s time to remove all the boulders, dirt, and dead leaves covering your seeds of greatness and unearth your passion.

Where Do I Begin?

Look in the mirror and ask yourself:
• “What am I always doing?” Passion is reflected in your practices.
• “What do I show up for?” Passion is reflected in your presence.
• “Where do I get my fulfillment?” Passion is reflected in your rewards.

Enjoy the Journey

How do you know what your passion is? Passion is what you do when you are the only one you need to please. It is what you would do if no one cared, if it didn’t earn you a dime, and if you didn’t have to impress your parents, friends, or Uncle James (who said you’d never amount to anything). It drives your spirit in spite of your schedule, outstanding obligations, and external pressures.

Dedicate Time to You

When—try every fifth Tuesday and Friday in 2013. Those fifth days are a bonus, so use them to find that “sweet spot” buried under shoulds and can’ts.

View Passion under the Lamp of Possibility

Finding your passion means seeing the connection between the salability of what you love and the infinite marketplace. Dog washes, skate parks, Mrs. Fields cookies—the list of what people do with their passion that makes them millionaires is endless.

Passion is the root of your power and likely your profit. But even if it isn’t, it’s the root of your greatness. It’s the gift from the Divinity or the Universe.

The goal is well-expressed in this oft-quoted thought from an unknown source: “When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible.” DW

Rosalyn Taylor O’Neale is a principal consultant at Cook Ross Inc.

Passion is the root of your power.