Achieve Your Dreams - Step by Step (#4)

LIVING YOUR MISSION WITH PASSION

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you every dreamed yourself to be.” – Patanjali, 1st-3rd century, BC

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goethe, 19th century

“Who are you? What did you come here to learn? What did you come here to teach? We all have a unique purpose. We are more than our personalities, our problems, our fear, our illnesses. We are far more than our bodies. We are all connected with everyone on the planet and all of life. We are all spirit, light energy, vibration, and love, and we all have the power to live our lives with purpose and meaning.” Patricia J. Crane, Ph.D., still here and living with passion.

Do you remember a time in your life when you experienced the energy in Patanjali’s quote? A time when a new vision for your life or a desire was born and suddenly your energy expanded and synchronistic events occurred to move you ahead? Many people have this experience when they step out to begin really pursuing their passion in life. Think about people you know that you enjoy being around. Are they bored with life or excited about it? Most likely they are excited about life and the activities they are involved in. When you’re around them, YOUR energy increases. On a daily basis, begin to notice when you feel energized and when you feel drained.

If you already know your passion and mission, and are pursuing them, wonderful! If you know them, but are hesitant to take a step, read on. If you are still discovering them, read on!

Think back to your childhood. Were there dreams you had then that you would still like to pursue? What was exciting and fulfilling to you as a child? Often the seeds of a mission are in events from childhood, sometimes long forgotten.

Too often people wait to pursue their passion because they think “I’ll have to quit my day job- how will I support myself?” Not true! You can start in small ways. Just take a step at a time. Your mind may pop up with excuses- “I’m not smart enough. I’m too old. I don’t know where to start. I need a degree.” Blah, blah, blah…. Excuses are just that! One acquaintance of mine became the oldest graduate at California State University, Long Beach. She was 74, having gone back to school after her husband died. She said the young students energized her, and I’m sure she gave them a new image of “old age!”

Ask yourself- how can I start sharing my passion? You might find an organization or group that is doing something related to your passion. If it’s helping women, call a shelter and volunteer. If it’s teaching people about organic food and gardening, gather some friends for an informative evening or write an article for the local paper. Take some step, and as Patanjali says, “Dormant forces…. become alive.”

Set aside quiet time out in nature. Go to the beach, the mountains, or a beautiful garden. Set an intention to discover your mission or to know how to get started (if you’re already clear about your mission and pursuing it, you can set an intention to know more about the next step.) Meditate for as long as feels comfortable, then open your eyes, and just observe your surroundings. What does nature have to tell you about your mission? What insights are there? Write in a journal, just letting it flow, about your passion and mission. Trust that it is revealed to you. If you don’t receive clarity immediately, be patient. Keep setting your intention to gain clarity and it will come.

It’s never too late, you’re never too old, and you ARE smart enough and good enough.