Doing what you love and loving what you do is one of life’s great joys. But discovering what makes you passionate, what your particular purpose in life is, can feel like stumbling in the dark for many of us.
“Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.” —Henri Frederic Amiel
Passion is what guides us and directs us toward purpose, motivation, and success.
Want to help give your young people a framework to finding their passion? Want to show them how to discover and embrace their strengths and reach their potential?
There is no magic formula, but we’ve got some handy tips below!
Give everything a try
You don’t know how cold the water is until you feel it, you don’t know if you like coffee until you sip it, you don’t know if you love something until you try it!
You never know until you give something a go. A lot of young people are afraid to try new things, are wary of failing, and think there’s nothing they’re passionate about. Encourage and model trying new things. Get out there, try new hobbies, read new books, learn about new topics. Who knows what will get them feeling that spark of interest, that fire of passion?
The job of a young person is not to know but to TRY.
What do you stand for?
What we get passionate about is strongly connected to our core beliefs and values.
We at Burn Bright get super passionate about all things leadership because we believe in and value the power and importance of individuals, to have their own influence and to be influenced well!
Most young people we work with have never sat down and worked out what their core values are, what makes them uniquely them. So have a think about what the things are that you believe in and care about most, and let them guide where you look to discover your passions.
What do you get really excited or angry about?
There are times when the fire just rises in our belly, when we feel angry or frustrated or really excited about something, and the cool thing is, we all feel that way about different things! So pay attention to what provokes these extreme emotions.
If you get really angry at situations that seem unfair, maybe you have a passion for justice or compassion. Or if you get really excited about sport, maybe you have a passion for competition or teamwork. Notice what stirs you, what interests you, even if it’s a negative emotion.
It isn’t set in stone
Your passion isn’t set in stone, or written down and you just need to discover what it says. They may grow and change with you through life. This means we need to stay on the journey of discovery, examining our passions.
We live in an awesome time where you can make a living out of pretty much anything and through some pretty crazy passions. So get excited, knowing you can try a whole lot of different things, and there are many passions out there that could light your fire!
So those are four steps to begin a passion-discovering journey.
Keep guiding your young person towards wellbeing and meaning. Help them discover their passion, the spark inside every one of us that ignites them to live a meaningful, full, and purposeful life. Give your young people the gift of discovery through our Passions Digital Course – learn more here: Digital for Parents
