7 Questions To Finding Your True Passion

According to a recent survey, about 75% of the population do not know what their true passion is. Clearly, almost everyone seems to not be doing what they were meant to do. This is an eye-opener because doing what we really love is absolutely necessary if we want to be fully happy. Perhaps this is why there is so much unhappiness going on in our society, people just aren’t doing what they are here on Earth for. Finding your true passion isn’t as simple as it may seem. For some, yes it does come naturally, but most of the time, you have to ask yourself some questions to pinpoint exactly what you were born to do. Here are my 7 questions that can guide you to finding your ultimate passion:
What puts a smile on your face?
Is there a particular event, a particular topic that makes your whole face just lighten up? Whatever it is that makes you smile, and makes you happy whenever you encounter it, this is a sign of something you are passionate about. I truly believe that happiness and passion walk hand in hand. Both require each other. So following what makes you truly happy is a wonderful way to figuring out what you were put on Earth for. Think about something that you do or that perhaps you used to do that brings total peace to you when you do it. Peace is happiness, and happiness is passion.
What do you find easy?
Usually, what we find easy for us to do, will be related to what we are passionate about. It’s very hard to hate something that is very easy for us! For example, let’s say you are naturally good at playing the piano, you will find the activity easy, and this ease makes it much more fun for you. Fun leads to happiness and happiness is synonymous with passion
So assess everything that you do, whatever it is that you find really easy and fun, this may very well be your passion. And don’t think that anything is off limits or silly. Some people have taken their passion for skateboarding, drawing, or collecting to full fledged careers. Remember this, you can make a career out of anything you are passionate about.
What sparks your creativity?
One of my passions growing up was hockey. It’s not too surprising, being Canadian and all
But I remember playing for hours and hours, and always coming up with different plays, and different methods to score goals. I was always full of creativity when playing hockey. Later in life, I developed similar creativity in business. Think about something in your life where you seem to always expand its horizon, always coming up with new, fun, and exciting ideas relating to that subject. Whatever makes you creative, is probably something that you are very passionate about.
What would you do for free?
In this society, we are ruled by the almighty dollar. That’s the way the system works, and that’s the game we have to play. The problem is, this leads many people to seek making money first, instead of what makes them happy. I have read countless number of stories about stock brokers and doctors for example, leaving their high paying positions to follow what they really love. There is a reason for that. I truly believe that if you follow what you are passionate about without thinking about if it will make you rich or not, you will end up being successful. Doing what you have a passion for brings out your best, and this leads to greatness. Greatness breezes to success. Do you think that the most successful people in the world got to where they are because they wanted to get rich? Absolutely not, they did what they were so passionate about, and their immense success was just a byproduct of their dedication. So think about something that you would just love to do, even if you were not getting paid. Think about something that you look forward to do, something that you wish you could do all the time.
What do you like to talk about?
The topics of conversation we have can definitely tell what we are interested in, and this is a good way to find out what we really enjoy in life. Most of the time, we aren’t totally aware of this. This is why, a very good way to figure this out properly, is to ask your friends. Ask them what they believe you like to talk about the most. Ask them what topic makes your eyes brighten up, and changes your entire behavior. I can guarantee you that some of their answers will be surprising to you. Some of these things weren’t that clear to you, but your friends can see the reaction on your face that you can’t see yourself. Try it out, it’s a very insightful exercise, and one that can direct you closer to figuring out your passion.
What makes you unafraid of failure?
When we do what we are passionate about, we have total confidence in our abilities. This makes us not worry about failing, because in our mind, how can we fail when we do what we love? Doing what you love is a success in and of itself, so failure is like an impossibility. Think of something that you just do or want to do, no matter what. Something that you do not have second thoughts about. Think about something that you feel you must do and that failure is not even a concern of yours, because the mere act of doing it is like the journey and the destination all wrapped up in one. This may very well be your true passion.
What would you regret not having tried?
We all have these dreams, and somehow, life pushes us in another direction, and next thing we know, we are far from those dreams we used to have. If you were at the end of your life, what would you regret not having pursued? What would you have liked to do, that you didn’t get a chance to? Think about what that might be. Whatever it is that you may experience regret now or later on for not having tried, this is a good chance to be your true passion. There is nothing worse than arriving at the end of the journey and having regret. This is why finding your passion, and following it is so important. Live your life so that you do not have regrets.
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Filed in General Self Help,Spirituality View Comments






Thanks for the inspiring article. Will be back to read more.
Dave
LifeExcursion
Another question you can ask to find passion is: “How can I serve others?”
Often the true passion is revealed once you start to commit your life to something bigger than yourself.
I have found that creating inspiration in others has awaken the passion inside of me
Yes, there are many useful techniques to help you find your passion so pick one and get started. Joe
Hi Frederic,
What a fantastic article. I really enjoyed reading it and you have certainly given some brilliant starting points for people to look into when trying to discover their passion. I find that sometime the hardest part is just knowing where to start, and your 7 step guide is certainly a great place to begin. Congrats on a brilliant article and thank you for the great read.
Now that I have I identified my passion whats next? By the way Great article!!
Provocative article! One can never assume they have arrived, time changes our reasoning and logic; causing us to re-evaluate our mental processes. Thanks for the input.
Thanks Fredric,
Your post has been very thought provoking.
I have a slightly different issue though. I have been doing very well in academics throughout and have secured Engineering (Pakistan) as well as MBA degrees (Canada). Since my higher secondary education, I have been asking my teachers, parents and friends about what I am good at and most of them say, “you are good at everything.” They may be giving out a compliment though it leaves me in a fix further.
- I have worked in Telecom for the past ten years (with no big successes),
- did my MBA in Finance (liked it though not loved it) after five years of telecom experience,
- keep thinking of a PhD in project management and then teaching, (though I have turned 37 now)
- keep looking on jobs in social development (that does attract me)
- or to immigrate to Canada in aspiration of a more congnenial environment to tap my passion.
The “killer” is a feeling that I could do a lot more but with a four member family setup (two kids), I need to keep going with the current pace to keep paying the bills regulalry in a better than average living conditions in my country.
I feel badly entangled at times.
Any advice please!
haiii,
I like your post!
I am a 22 year old girl still going to school (economics). I wonder if I want to spent my whole life working from 9-5. I just dont see myself doing that. I really would like to have a small company, but the thing is. How to be different from the rest to make it a succes? What is the key?
To Priya & Jamal,
Follow what feels right. Whatever it is that you are passionate about, that will be the most inspiring option available to you. Learn to listen to your gut feeling…it is usually right. Also, remember that all is due in time. They say that timing is everything in business, and that holds true also for following what you are truly passionate about. Even if you don’t start working on what you are passionate about tomorrow, you CAN work on working towards making you passion a reality in your life at some future point in time. So never let that thought leave you. Always let your passion motivate you to get through what you need to do to make it happen eventually.
regards
Wow, I got a lot just from reading the responses to your article. I think your article is very inspiring. Thank you.
I wish to make a plea to those of us who think that finding your passion is either not worth the effort, or see it as doing what you love for free only. First, the last bit to me just means that you would do what you love even if it would be for free. From all the successful stories I have learned from, money always follow your passion. Never give up on yourself. I am paying the price now for not listening to that still small voice, the one that wants you to be happy. I did just what mostly others thought was what I should be doing. What I thought was the right thing, and not what would make me happy. Until one day I got up and asked myself in almost agony, is this all there is to my life? If this is all I do not want to go on. I then realized I was not on the path I came here to be on. Unfortunately, I have not YET found my passion, but I have taken important steps to find it. My plea then is to never give up on your passion. You have one, we all do!! It’s a fact. I also feel impressed to say, the journey you will embark on to find your passion will be the most important part of it all. What you will learn about yourself and others will be so inspiring and growth promoting you will never regret taking that road. “Seek and ye shall find”. Bibble. “It’s not the end result, but the journey…”. “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”. Isaac Newton. Learn from those who have found their passions. All the best to you all.
I totally agree with everything you said, but I have no idea how I'd go about doing that (following my passions, that is). I love art–photography, drawing, ceramics, crafts design–pretty much any thing that involves making something beautiful or unique. my problem is, although I would love to create art for a living, I feel like I can't because I work at such a slow pace so wouldn't be able to finish assigned projects on time. I could probably get into an art school. My problem would be not failing classes due to incomplete assignments by the end of the term…I guess there are other things I like too, but nothing I like nearly as much. I don't know what to do…it's annoying. (p.s. I'm an 18)
Following your passion is always difficult with many weaknesses to over come. One weakness to overcome for you may be getting your assignments done. Sounds like art school make sense you just need to have confidence in yourself to get that degree. Then when you are done don't forget to ask yourself again “what is it that makes me happy?” I will tell you what helped me finish each assignment was to have a mantra. Some word or phrase that inspires you to keep going. Mine was “first do what is necessary, then do what is possible, and pretty soon you are doing the impossible.”
I love your Mantra…very nice indeed! Thank you for sharing your story
Hi,
Just a update. After looking for a while. I have found several “passion”/things I like to do.
I am now try to find combination of al those passions. It's in the direction of marketing.
good for you
glad it's working out for you!
Passion is really important for every one to led a successful life but it is quite difficult to have that. You have described some very good and easy ways to find true passions.
These are marvelous questions to begin the journey towards finding passion. And questions are always at the heart of the matter. I believe that our search for meaning, and its associated result, passion, is the most fundamental quest of the human spirit. How sad, that so many spend their lives separated from their true passion, especially since it is always there and ready to be accessed. As Thoreau said, “Most men live lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them.” I’m sure your post will encourage some to commit to pursing their soul’s longing so that they can sing the song that’s within them.
Alot of times, certain subjects are not necessary to go to school for. I think art is one. Other times, a talented person can be trained by the wrong professionals and end up worse than when they started. School may not be the answer for you.
This is a great start to finding what you love! Thanks for this article. Have you seen Henri Juntilla's new guide about Passionate Living and doing what you love for a living? It's literally the best ebook I've read in a long time, and even after doing the online thing for several years I found it really inspiring also.
What about people who are dysthymic?
I can do many things that are easy for me. Nothing brings a smile.
There just is no place I want to be. I should just kill myself.
Finding a place where someone else is benefited by the many things that are easy for you, will be your life saver. Then, as you find out more about the ways in which you prefer to be helpful to others and what makes you the most fulfilled, you can narrow it down.
Each of us has many skills that we're experts at. List your likes/dislikes, what you know how to do, experiences you've had. Set some goals. Are there things you'd like to do? Make a vision board – place pictures of things you'd like to have or achieve. A new sports car, a home by the ocean, have a garden? Sometimes we need to step out of comfort zone and try new things. Pay attention to your automatic negative thoughts….and change your thinking to more positive affirmations. You have the control to change things in your life. You are reponsible for you. The possibilities are endless. Don't allow fear to keep you from doing things.
KJ, I truly hope that you are joking. There are some times in everyone's life that they cannot find a smile. You are worth something! A lot! You are a life with purpose…it may take time to identify what that is, but stay strong. You will want to be someplace someday, I promise
if you hate your life that much, just do it…there are too many worthless idiots in this life already, taking up space and ruining life for the rest of us…jk…but seriously, if you're gona post something like, you're a pathetic loser.
wow i know how you feel. i really do. and no people i dont think KJ is kidding. personality disoders are very serious. nothing keeps me happy for long and i dont have any ideas that will because i know that in a very short time it will bore me and i will feel the same as i do now and search for an escape. probably being pills alcohol or drugs or sleep. i am bipolar and i am only 22. so you are not alone.
you make me sick ms.spur. how dare you say something like that. your the loser with no integrity
I hear that! Not the just kill myself thing, bu the many things are easy
I don't think I've ever tried something and not found it easy, you know after the
first ten minutes or so anyhow
But you do smile, KJ, if you're human you smile at something, but if you're
like me, you don't always smile just because of happiness, you smile because
someone or some organization just said something or did something and it proves
that cynical prospective you have regarding some many people who think
this or that is right, when really they just have no clue, no grasp of reality
Or you smile because something just happened and you know that's going
to come back to you like money in the bank, which won't make you necessarily
happy, just relieve you of having to deal with some other problems
So what's the solution? pick something – ya, that's right, pick something
if you can do a lot of things well, easily, put 'em all up on a dart board
and toos a dart at it and pick something – then do that as if it is your passion,
then if after doing that for a while shows you that's not really your passion,
then try one of the other things you put up on that dart board
in fact, actually trying something esle, if it turns out no to be your passion,
just might reveal to you while your doing that something else, what might
actually be your passion, then you'll have it
Winners take action – I know you might not feel like taking action and you
may not feel like a winner, but think about it this way, as a winner you'll
have far more resources available to you to dispell the problems that are
getting you down and running your life, than not being a winner would give you
Oh, and also, you may need some friends or perhaps a love interest to
get you out of that 'I'm so totally empty' feeling, there's nothing like a support
team on your side to get you through the downers we all feel
All of a sudden, (I am 57) I realized that I have found a few areas in my life that I am passionate about. One is teaching others a way to break free of working for someone else and make a living on there own, in order that they may not have to ever worry about “money” and that they will have the time and funds if necessary, to find there “passion” in life, if they haven't yet. Number two, I love to write poetry and am on my second book. Number three, I have just started another book as of a few days ago. It's title? PASSION – WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO I FIND IT? My research has brought me here for more ideas. I do not know how this book will all turn out but I know my passion is stronger than the end product and my lessons to be learned are in the journey. This journey is just a path that I bet will bring some other idea for me to then follow. My life is more exciting than it has ever been because I let go of trying to control it. I follow it and watch and listen and rest in knowing I am where I'm suppose to be. My favorite saying? Never give up, never give up, NEVER, EVER, GIVE UP. Your article is great!
Melissa,
Thank you for this gift you've given me! I started blogging to share my passions! I've been learning from so many people for almost 2 years! When I read this post, then watched your movie, it all came together! My 'why' is different than my passion! I appreciate your help identifying the difference!
~Linda
hey im carl , have a question . isnt it true that we fear doing things wrong because we care about what we are doing? , maby we fear because the passion is not strong enough, maby if the passion is strong enough the fear dont matter , could this be ? thanks
that is an accurate assessment. If you are truly passionate about something, you become unafraid of failure or doing it wrong.
Hey, I'm Daryl
Having read this post I have got to say these questions are fantastic – They are a great starter in the search to take action to change their lives for the better. If its okay, I've posted a little inspirational poetic performance about finding your passion to youtube. When I first heard it I thought it was very weird – it has this idea of your belly as a bee-hive. Anyway Cameron Semmens (the poet) ties this in with finding your passion in a very thought provoking way – I thought: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvhipBnrDRk . hope that is okay to share
kj, there some people out there that feels like nothing makes them happy, perhaps you should try not to focus on yourself and try to use some of your talents to make others happy there are a lot of organizations that you can volunteer your time to, either helping others or teaching, ect.. And I promise you not only will it bring a smile to your face but it will bring you inner peace knowing that you made a difference in someones life.
your poor wife. what if she finds her true passion? Then I should say -your poor kids. They’re gonna be orphans if I understand correctly. You must be happy, no questions. There is one exception in this rule – UNLESS it doesn’t hurt anyone. How easy – you walked away from your wife and kids. No, darling, go back and help them out. Sorry you didn’t find out your passion earlier But you”ll never make yourself happy at the expence of otehrs