Find Your Tribe, Find Your Passion

"Finding your tribe can have transformative effects on your sense of identity and purpose.  This is because of three powerful tribal dynamics: validation, inspiration, and what we'll call here the "alchemy of synergy." Ken Robinson

"Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are."  JC Hare and A.W. Hare

"Each person has an aptitude born with them.  Do your work."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thinking it Through...

One of the things I love to do in my Coaching practice is to help people find their strengths...those unique ways of thinking and creating that they were born with.  I have been reading a book called The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.  One of the concepts in this book that I had not thought much about was the importance of finding your tribe.  When you are with your tribe you feel inspired to create, take chances and most of all you feel "at home."  Even if your passion requires a certain amount of solitude you still need a tribe.  Martha Beck, a self-help author has a wonderful group of women writers who she meets with on a regular basis. Freeman Dyson the physicist says that when he is writing he needs to be alone but when he is actually doing science he welcomes interaction with others.  "Up to a point you welcome being interrupted because it is only by interacting with other people that you get anything interesting done."

Often you can discover your passion by looking for the people you love to be around.  By noticing their interests and strengths it will be a sign pointing to your own strengths and passions.  Watch for the people and activities which fill you with energy and life. An example of finding your passion by finding your tribe is the actress Meg Ryan. Meg did not have aspirations to be an actress when she first started. She was terrified of public speaking and much preferred to be in the background using her love for writing. As she was going to college she did some small commercials to help pay the bills and that led to a part on the soap opera, “As the World Turns.” Much to her surprise she loved being around the other actors! It was like a big, extended family and she truly felt at home and inspired. Meg was able to use her writing skills as she developed her character. She realized that the actors she worked with were, like her, fascinated by human behavior and the idea of bringing writing to life.

Take a minute to look around and notice who you feel inspired and comfortable around. They just might lead you to your purpose and passion. So here's to filling your life with your passions and strengths and having a tribe to keep you inspired!

Challenge:

1. What is your tribe?
2. What are activities you do where you feel most like yourself?
3. When did you last lose track of time during an activity?
4. What are the people in your tribe interested in?