One thing that is talked about a lot in the Law of Attraction teachings is finding your PASSION. What does that really mean? How do you define “passion” and how do you go about finding it?

According to the Webster’s Dictionary, PASSION is a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept; intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

Seems like something this intense would be easy to see, right? Well, not in my experience, and from what I am seeing these days, others are also finding their passion to be a bit elusive as well.

I think that passion is actually a moving target, thus making it almost impossible to nail down one driving force that brings us unbridled happiness and bliss. Is it possible that our passions change over time?

Let’s look at me, for example:

At the age of 8, I was sure that I was destined to be a dog trainer. I had 3 dogs that would do anything to please me, including jumping through hoops, climbing ladders, riding skateboards - I even tried to teach them to read, but found my attempts unsuccessful.

At age 11, I had Pac-Man Fever - and just knew that I would some day develop software for video games, or even BETTER, be the World’s Champion Pac-Man Player!!

At age 16, I developed a love of music and decided that being in a Drum & Bugle Corp was in my future.

At age 18, as I explored my options for higher education, I considered a career in the medical field as a Respiratory Therapist.

At age 20, I was convinced that I would now be a Computer Programmer.

At age 30, I knew my calling in life was to be a mother.

Around age 35, I saw my path to success as a System Administrator and Statistician - but also recognized my leanings toward a new found spiritual calling.

See what I mean? As our lives evolve, so do our priorities and our passions. It’s no wonder that the question “What is your passion” can drive us to distraction and get us STUCK right out of the self-improvement gates.

So let’s see if we can’t make this a little easier.

Let’s rephrase the question — “What is your passion…. right now??” And if you don’t know the answer to that question, how can you find out?

Here are some things that might help jump-start your mission- Ready? Start making your list!

1. What do you do all day? Look at your job. Even if you think that overall you detest the job you are doing, there are probably some qualities about it that you can identify as pleasurable (or at least tolerable). Let’s say you are a secretary at a large company. The hours are long, the staff members are jerks, but you find that time just effortly passes as you build a PowerPoint presentation. Maybe that’s the creative passion within you.. write that down.

2. When you get home, what do you do? Dinner…. laundry….. pay bills….. all that usual stuff that we have to do… but how about that time from 6:30 to dusk when you found yourself walking around the yard admiring your flowers or tending your garden? Does nature call out to you? … write that down.

3. What kind of books do you read? Take a quick inventory of your bookshelves. Do you own every self-help book on the market (GUILTY!!!) or are your shelves filled with mystery novels.. or how-to craft books… or computer manuals…. Where attention goes… energy flows…. write it down.

4. When you have time off from work, what do you do? Do you use that time to relax around the house? Do you go fishing? Camping? Go out with friends? …. write it down.

By starting to identify where your free time takes you, you’ll start to see things take shape. Does this mean that just because you like to camp you should open a camping store? Maybe, or maybe not.

I always thought my husband should have a bait and tackle shop because he has so much knowledge about fishing, what bait to use, where to fish, when the fish are biting.. but he pointed out to me one day the error of my thinking. If he were to tie himself to a tackle shop, he wouldn’t be able to go fishing when the fish were biting, because he’d be running the shop so that everyone ELSE could go catch the fish. Where’s the joy in that?? I never thought of it that way…

I think that passion is a path, not a thing. You may start out on the path with a certain destination in mind (or maybe NO destination in mind) but shortly into the trip, you come to a new road with interesting scenery, so you take a detour to see what you can find. Along that detour, new and wonderful things can open up for you - things that you have never dreamed of before. But you can never find the seemingly elusive PASSION if you never start the journey.

Make it a point each day to find something that brings you happiness, focus your attention on it and start on a journey. If your journey changes tomorrow, that’s okay.. just get started. I am confident that as you continue to make strides, you will eventually find the path easier and easier to walk, and great things will be revealed to you along the way.