Passion: The Driving Force Behind Success and Fulfillment

Prachi had always been searching for her true passion in life. She had tried many different things, but nothing seemed to stick. When she approached me to get support in her career, she spoke about her passion. She mentioned that she was a good dancer but was not sure about making a career in dancing. She also said that she likes writing and she can be an author and journalist in the media industry. I suggested her coach to identify her true purpose in life. 

Coach explained to her about passion and some myths around that. She was shocked to learn that many of the things she had believed about passion were simply not true. For example, she had always thought that passion was something you were born with, but she learned that passion could be developed and cultivated through experience and exploration.

Encouraged by this new knowledge, Prachi decided to start experimenting. She tried new hobbies and took on new challenges, and slowly but surely she started to discover what truly made her happy and fulfilled.

One day, she stumbled upon photography and was immediately drawn to it. She felt a spark of excitement and joy every time she took a picture, and she knew that she had finally found her passion. Prachi threw herself into photography, studying and practicing every day. She learned about the technical aspects of the craft, as well as the creative side, and she was soon able to express herself in ways she never thought possible. She started sharing her work online and quickly gained a following. People were drawn to the beauty and emotion in her pictures, and she was amazed by the positive impact her work was having on others.

Prachi's passion for photography led her to new opportunities and experiences, and she was able to turn her hobby into a successful career. She never forgot the lessons she learned about the myths of passion, and she was grateful for the journey that had led her to where she was.

Passion is often described as a strong feeling of excitement and enthusiasm for something, and it can play a huge role in our lives. Whether it's a hobby, a career, or a cause, having a passion can bring us joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose.

However, there are many myths and misconceptions about passion that can hold us back. Let's take a closer look at some of these myths and the reality behind them.

Myth 1: Passion is something you're born with

Reality: While some people may have a natural talent or inclination towards certain things, passion can also be developed and cultivated through experience and exploration. Don't be discouraged if you haven't found your passion yet – keep trying new things and exploring your interests, and you may be surprised by what you discover.

Myth 2: Passion is the same as a hobby

Reality: While passion can certainly be a hobby, it can also refer to a deeper calling or purpose that drives your work and life. It's not just about doing something you enjoy – it's about finding something that brings meaning and fulfillment to your life.

Myth 3: You can only have one passion

Reality: People are complex and multi-faceted, and it's possible to have multiple passions and interests throughout your life. Don't feel limited to just one thing – embrace your diverse passions and interests, and see where they take you.

Myth 4: Passion means never having to work a day in your life

Reality: While having a job you're passionate about can be incredibly rewarding, it still requires hard work and dedication. Passion is not just about feeling good – it's about making a difference and pursuing your goals, even when it's difficult.

Myth 4: Passion equals success

Reality: Having a passion for something is a great start, but it takes more than that to achieve success. Passion must be combined with hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn and grow.

Passion is a complex and multifaceted concept that is often subject to myths and misconceptions. By understanding the reality of what passion entails, we can better pursue our interests and achieve our goals.

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Control your negative thought and be happy

Everybody is speaking about Corona and it is too much, I think. Hence I have decided to write about feelings which are created because of such types of events in life. Let's take a small break from corona. However please take care and follow guidelines issued by the government on time to time.     

There was one incident which didn’t give me positive feeling. I got disturbed. When I started thinking, I realised that this is a very small incident and I was disturbed because of somebody else. I was unnecessary worried because of his behaviour. You also must have experienced similar things in your life. Do you know how many though come in our mind? Experts estimate that the mind thinks between 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts a day. Our mind continuously processes the information which we receive through different channels and events in our life and around us; mind also analyse the information based on our past experiences and assumptions. And then we interpret the situation which gives us good or bad feelings. We become happy or unhappy depending upon the situation. Situation is not important; the analysis and interpretation are important.      

Based on such events, we express 6 types of emotions.

Happiness is always good but what’s about other emotions like sadness, fear, disgust, anger and surprise? Why these emotions generated?

Negative feelings come because of few following reasons:

Overthinking: Few people have the habit of over thing. We think so much without no reasons. If some incident happened, the brain will actively start thinking, analysing, reading between the lines. Excess thinking gives the stress and we become unhappy.    

Fear of losing somethings, like power, money etc: If there are some changes in the organization or in the life, most of the people tend to resist the change. The reason is they feel that they will lose something. And this fear of loosing something creates havoc in the life. 

Uncertainty: Few people will always think about the future challenges. Thinking about the future is very good, but that should be for the learning and development purpose. But when people take this personally & without much taking action, they unnecessarily get worried about the issues which even does not exist.

Fear of failure: people don’t take actions. They think that if they do something, they will not succeed. They always are worried about their targets, goals and this creates stress resulting unhappiness. 

Apart from above there are few reasons like bad roads, bad traffic, behaviours of people around. If something does not happen as expected, we get worried and it creates negative feelings.  

What should we do to overcome such negative feelings? Try some following tips.

Accept the reality

Accept and recognise the situation. You can’t blame always to bad roads, bad traffic, indiscipline of the people. Accept that you can’t change the whole world, but you can change your world. 

Decide your response wisely.

When any negative feelings come because of some events, just hold back. Think that am I overthinking because of this incident? Is it necessary to think much? Recognize your feeling for time being and then decide what do you want. Perhaps the issue may be little, and you can solve it by proper response. Think about the best way to express your emotion.

Learn how to change your mood.

At a certain point, you'll want to shift from a negative mood into a positive one. Otherwise your thinking may get stuck on how bad things are, and that can drag you down into feeling worse. Try doing things that make you happy, even if you don't feel like it at the time. For example, you might be in the mood to go out after a fight with your spouse but just staying back silently and then initiating the communication can lift you out of that negative space.

Build positive & constructive emotions.

Reflection and insight are keys of happy life. Try to understand what went wrong so that you are feeling bad. Positive feelings create a sense of happiness and well-being. Make it a habit to notice and focus on what's good in your life, even the small things, like the praise your peer, colleague etc. Noticing the good things even when you're feeling bad can help you shift the emotional balance from negative to positive.

Get a help

Talk about how you're feeling with a trusted friend, spouse, parent etc. They can help you explore your emotions and give you a fresh way of thinking about things. And nothing helps you feel more understood and cared for than the support of someone who loves you for who you are.

Exercise

Physical activity helps the brain produce natural chemicals that promote a positive mood. Exercise also can release stress build-up and help you from staying stuck on negative feelings.