Passion is a funny thing.
We all say we want it and a lot of us claim that we have it. And with that, we automatically assume that having passion means we're happy and contented with life.
I'm one of them.
I've passion. But I do not have absolute happiness and contentment with what I'm doing now.
The problem with passion for this blogger
I've been blogging for about two years now.
And it has been one hell of a struggle.
I'm still struggling in fact. I can't seem to grasp at this internet marketing thing to make money!
But I love writing. And I'm good at it.
It got me thinking, "Why is it I'm doing what I love, and yet life doesn't throw me a bone here? Why am I struggling so hard?"
"And why am I not enjoying myself?"
Passion called again
The last one really hit me.
I quit my last job because I hit a point where I was waking up everyday and not having fun.
And I'm still not having fun.
I work from home. I write according to my own terms. I create like an artist. I connect with awesome, like-minded bloggers online.
But the struggles of reality have overwhelmed me recently, especially where I have to earn money to sustain myself and also to support my mom.
Hence, passion called again.
I've come to realize that finding passion, following your heart, doing what you love and the whole she-bang has its intricacies.
It's not as easy as it sounds like.
Here are the 5 intricate ideas of passion you need to take note of
1) You need to go ALL IN with passion
Like gambling at the blackjack table, you got to go all in.
When I started blogging, I wrote my heart out. Then I started learning about internet marketing (mostly about building a list) and concentrated on that.
It tired me out and got me really frustrated all the time. I had little success with internet marketing, but I continued because I felt like I absolutely needed it to "succeed".
There's no space for different ideas for passion. Internet marketing was what made me realize I stopped having fun.
Now, all I do is write. I'm currently writing a book and plan to self-publish for Kindle.
That's going all in. Stop concentrating on stuff that puts your passion on the sidelines.
2) Passion means getting out of your comfort zone
I did however, feel fearful of my next move.
What if I lose the (little) money I've been making all along? How was I going to sustain?
Then I realized that this was a great sign!
Passion may be that inner fire from within that creates happiness and joy. But what if you want to step it up and create an even more awesome life?
Step out of your comfort zone. That means feeling fearful, weird, confused, unsure etc. A better life definitely is waiting outside the zone.
But it's okay! Passion will guide you.
3) You still need to tweak passion with honesty
Be honest with yourself. That's how passion works.
When I started blogging, I knew I wanted to help others with my writing. Thus, I started writing about personal development.
My first few eBooks were launched throughout my blogging career, and I did make some good money at certain points.
Sounds good? Nah.
I called the eBooks real books, but come on, most eBooks aren't books! They were just a bunch of blog posts put together with a solid eCover.
I also wrote about topics which made sense for the market. They did not come from the heart.
So in moving out of my comfort zone, I said, "Screw it".
I'm going to be writing more about humour and entertainment, things I love!
See how I tweaked passion even further with honesty? Go all in. Never compromise a single thing!
4) Passion goes full circle
Two years of blogging for me. It came back to this.
It's funny, because even though I've learnt so much on my own, I feel like I'm back where I started.
I've gone back to basics. I'm a writer again.
I've really come to believe that no matter where you are in your journey, you will go full circle and back to your passion, the kind which is all in, and honest.
You can't escape passion.
Do yourself a favour and always listen to your heart. Don't stray too far from your passion even though you think you need to learn this and that other thing.
5) And yet, passion must mix with reality
We can't escape how the world works with its various systems, cultures and people.
As much as you want to do what you love, reality kicks in now and then.
This is especially true in business. If you want to create a business doing what you love, you need to find the convergence of your passion with what people are willing to pay for.
If your passion is eating pizza and playing video games, it wouldn't make sense for people to pay to watch you do any of that.
So how do you tolerate this idea of passion and reality?
My best advice is to keep learning and trying new things which can support your passion. But try it only once!
Don't keep trying for the sake of it. If it's not fun any more, it's time to let go.
And finally, just remember what I said.
Always be honest. Go all in.
Have fun.
Just for Pick the Brain readers
If you reach to the end of this article, that’s awesome!
I just wanted to tell you about a free book I wrote about how you can START getting inspired. It’s all in here, the Revival Kit.
- How to find passion
- Gain confidence to do what you love
- Learn how to stop caring about what others think.
This free book is only available through this link to Alden-Tan. Check it out!
Bio:
Alden Tan keeps it real at his blog and writes about motivation in unconventional ways. He tells it like it is, to heart of the matter. Check out his free report, Revive Your Life on “waking up” in life to start doing what you love.
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