Life by Design: Committing to Passion

I made a huge decision and investment last week. I went from feeling guided, to scared (about the financial investment, as usual), to excited, then to calm once I had committed even more to my passion – all within a few hours. I’m on the right path. I know it. I’ll tell you more near the end, but that’s what has inspired this post.

What are you passionate about?

If money and time weren’t issues, what would you be doing? or not doing?

Are you taking the necessary steps to bring more passion into your life?

Committing to your passions goes hand in hand with simplifying your life.  It’s about identifying what’s important to you and eliminating everything else.  It’s about committing your time and finances to what fuels you. Sure, this may mean lovingly saying “no thank you” to many of the demands, requests, invitations, expectations, social norms, etc. that come your way.  It also means saying YES! to truly living life – especially once the basic physiological and safety needs are met (as per Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs).

Committing to your passions – whether that means scheduling time for a weekend soccer game with friends, devoting time every day for reading, or going back to school to change careers –  is also about loving yourself enough to be true to who you are, no matter how quirky or risky that may seem to others. So no matter if your passion is creativity, raising children, tango dancing, clock mechanisms, ant colonies, sky diving, quantum physics, skiing, traveling, writing, or statistical analysis, you’re worth it.

The benefits of doing what you love are countless. For yourself, this could mean skill-building, feeling more engaged and energized, connecting with your gifts and talents, self-esteem, happiness, fulfillment, and self-actualization. There’s nothing selfish about that. In fact, the benefits to those around you and those you serve can be just as limitless.

What benefits would you gain from reconnecting to some of your passions?

How would it benefit others?

Following What Calls You:

Many passions make great hobbies and don’t require huge financing (reading vs. race car driving for example.)  Some passions lead to great careers and require much more in terms of finances, time, and risk-taking.  If you’re a multi-passionate person, the challenge may be figuring out what passions to focus on at various times in your life, which to keep as hobbies, and which to combine into a business. That’s been my path. What’s really cool is seeing how delving into each one has made me who I am today and helped me build the skills/knowledge/experience I need to materialize this Life by Design.

• Even as a young child, I loved spending hours alone in the woods, which helped develop my imagination, strong connection to my guides, and to Nature.
• In elementary school, I loved stamp collecting, which helped develop my organizational skills, focus, and attention to details.
• I’ve always been passionate about dogs, probably because they’re naturals at unconditional love. Interacting with one is often a highlight of my day. Not many know that I’m a professional dog trainer and behaviour therapist…  I certainly wouldn’t hire me or even ask me for advice though as I’ve strangely never lived with a dog before. But I wanted to understand and spend intensive time with them during a transition phase in my life. Since I was about to move provinces with my cat to do my Masters of Education, it wasn’t time to adopt a dog. Instead, I took an intensive certificate course that opened up many opportunities to learn about and connect with these wonderful creatures.  Who knows how that will fit in the big picture.
• I’m obviously passionate about learning. I seem to be back in school every few years studying something, or doing some other self-study program for personal or spiritual growth.  It’s all been worth it!
• I’ve long been passionate about providing life-enhancing experiences through event planning and teaching (which I started at the age of 15). I climbed the career ladder quickly in recreation and arts administration, then jumped to English as a Second Language, and now I’m more in the wellness sector.
• I’m passionate about travel – discovering new places, cultures, etc.  I spent 11 years of my life living on other continents, teaching and traveling, and have lived in 5 provinces across Canada, from coast to coast.  I can’t begin to list the opportunities and growth that has led to.
• I am passionate about photography, which came out of traveling. As a bit of a technophobe (OK, a lot), I had to take courses in the late 90s to get over my self-imposed obstacles.  I took a professional certificate program online and a whole series of local workshops to learn how to use a real camera.  Then, when digital photography came out, I went back to school in BC for 10 months. This led to working with a photographer and his wife who both greatly influenced my spiritual path.  Now, my photography is one of the ways I use to get fully present, to share my way of seeing the world, and to inspire.
• I am passionate about unconditional love.  My extremely sensitive nature and early bewilderment by human behaviour led me to focusing my life on love. My focus on being more unconditionally loving (of myself and others) has required lots of study and practice, but what a worthwhile journey!
• I am definitely passionate about painting. I dove into it in the late 80s. Although I was self-taught for years, I devoted a couple of years to full-time art education in my 40s. Painting has been a healer and spiritual tool for me and seeing how my paintings have become so for so many others over the decades has definitely been fulfilling.
• I love writing!  I spend a few days every week writing these posts, for example. I love sharing, educating, entertaining, and empowering.  I used to write 20-40 page circulars that I mailed when I lived in South Korea (before the age of blogs).  I’ve also written articles for health & wellness magazines and as a guest blogger.

I’ve long said that should I die today, I would have no regrets. I’ve already lived a very full life listening to my heart callings and living my passions.  Having said that, I look forward to continuing to explore my love of beauty and the beauty of love and to finding clarity on how they’ll come together in ways that better serve the world while earning a fruitful income.

A Passion-Filled Business Model:

As you can see, I’m a multi-passionate Creative.  That’s part of why I’ve had a hard time coming up with a business model over the years. I love a lot of things and can be equally satisfied behind the camera in nature as in the studio painting! I’m at a point now, however, that I want to have a cohesive business in which I can give and receive more generously. I need to figure out what to put together in my business model to give me the time and location freedom my passions require, with unlimited potential for income while living a simple life- all that while having local and global impact.  Figuring that out is what I had set as my intention for the year.

One key point that I’ve been hearing a lot in my business coaching lately is that we don’t need to monetize all passions, especially if we’re multi-passionate creatives. Some things are best left as hobbies.  We don’t necessarily have to focus on just one either – there are ways to combine things.   I need to decide what passions will be the most profitable – financially and spiritually.  It’s not all about making money from my passions, although I’m a firm believer in “Do what you love and the money will follow”.  A successful business, however, means focusing on those passions that will bring me to my goals and presenting them to the world in a way that will best serve my market. Indeed, it’s about creating a Life by Design that will make the biggest difference in my life and that of others.

I’ve already talked to you about registering for 6 half days of training over a six-week period starting in March with NLOWE (Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneur).  Well, it turns out that is just the beginning.

My Big Decision:

Last week, a friend of mine sent me the intro videos to Marie Forleo’s B-School, which starts on March 9th. It’s an internationally renown 8-week super intensive online business/ marketing course (with lifetime access to materials) to fuel higher profits and higher purpose. I had gone through her videos and got all excited about B-School a year ago, but I was still in Vienna and my plate was deliciously full with art school.  At the time, I had told myself “maybe next year”. My memory being what it is, however, I forgot about it. I’m so glad my Guiding Spirits have a better memory than I do!  They worked through my friend and within 24 hours of her email, I had invested $2,500 ($1,999US) in what will be a life-changer for me and my business, I’m sure. Here’s how I started my reply to my friend that morning: “Yikes! Hee Hee! OMG! Why not?! Yes! Thank you!” 

I’ve seen what this program has done for others (many whose free online summits have provided me with hundreds of hours of inspiring podcasts), and so I was totally ready to commit. I’ve also witnessed Marie’s spirit, integrity, and authenticity through countless inspirational videos on Marie TV – she truly is a big-hearted creative. Fun too! 

If money hadn’t been an issue, I wouldn’t have hesitated.  Selling “Wings of Change” in Europe last week was a big help, and a sign –  so was that calm certainty that lay beyond the fear.  I know the Universe will support me through this as it has every time I answered the call.  Spirit wins out over ego yet again. Yay!

I’m saying YES! once again – to myself, to my art & inspiration, to my love of beauty and the beauty of love, to you and all those I will reach through my work … and to life itself.

I’m fully confident that this program will help me thrive as I find clarity, create a professional website that sells, develop a communication plan, get more traffic, develop products and services that inspire and empower, and then market them  -one pillar at a time.

Very exciting times!  As Marie says:

The road ahead will be exciting, uncomfortable, challenging and ultimately, one of the most rich and valuable experiences ever.

I’m open to that!

How would your life be different if you committed to your passions?
(if you haven’t already) 

Believe me, you’re worth it and the world deserves it – whether it’s finding more time for your hobbies or committing to turning your passions into your career.