Welcome back to our series on the 7 Rules that LEGENDS live by:
Learn Yourself, Exercise Aggressively, Grow Tribes, Express Passion, Navigate Confidently, Destroy Limitations, Share Treasure.
As it stands nowadays, a lot of us are conditioned to do the same thing in the same way with the same results. Go to school, go to college, get a good job, buy a nice car, buy a nice house, get married, have kids. We’re taught to exist like robots but there is not a lot of room for passion in that. Then one day, you wake up and you’re 40 years old with two kids that maybe you’re not the best dad to. You yell at them or you don’t spend as much time with them as you should. You’ve got a wife who you’re kind of distant from. You’ve got a job that you don’t really care for very much. And suddenly it hits you; You’re just going through the motions, just barely surviving and just barely living. How do we break this cycle? By expressing passion, defying our conditioning, and discovering what fires you up and excites you.
Defy The Status Quo and Express Your Passion
What works for some doesn’t work for all. We’re all unique individuals, and so why should we all follow an identical path with identical details? We’re taught that this is what we must do as we grow and mature, and the simple reasoning is because from a macro-level perspective, these blanket pursuits and mile markers are what’s most beneficial for society and civilization as a whole. Productive careers, traditional family paradigms, and healthy child rearing. But what happens when the need to follow these steps because of societal pressures outweigh how and why we do these things? We end up marrying someone not because we deeply love them, but because of some perceived “ticking clock.” We stick to a career because, hey, it’s there and it’s safe, not because we are passionate about it. These are not the reasons to do anything, but unfortunately, many of us get caught up in the status quo and feelings of obligation as opposed to slowing down and exploring what feels right.
Expressing your passion is really about finding what the hell lights you up. What really excites you? And if it’s not a primary component of your day, that’s okay — Just understanding your current station is a great starting point. But what you should consider is how can you incorporate more of that passion into your life?
Forge Your Fire
The idea of self-auditing and understanding our truest emotions and feelings on our current place in life can be tricky. But when it comes to our passions and raw desires, there are actually ways to quickly identify if you need to shake things up. The Chopra Center’s article “How To Bring Your Passions and Purpose To Life” outlines some of the bullet points for this process:
“You have a built-in GPS mechanism keeping you in alignment with your purpose. Its signals are communicated in bodily sensations telling you when you are headed away from or toward your purpose. This GPS is your own personal compass. Your true passions will guide you on your purpose path by sending your body positive signals. When you fail to honor your true passions, and start moving away from your purpose, your physical self sends out signs of discomfort such as:
-Low energy or chronic fatigue
-Feeling trapped, having a pit in your stomach, or digestive disorders
-Forgetfulness or inability to concentrate
-Disease, headaches, anxiety, depression, insomnia, addiction.”
If your body is sending signals in the way of distress and disruption, don’t be so quick to jump to a doctor’s appointment or a medication. Tune into yourself and really listen — Your inner self may be trying to tell you something. But what do you do once you realize it’s time for a change?
Forbes breaks down four awesome ways to push yourself to discover your passion. Our favorites?
“Follow Your Curiosity: Even though you may not have a clear vision for your career, you are probably curious about things which may or may not be obvious to you. It’s important to follow your curiosity and uncover your less obvious interests. The reason it’s important is that those interests tap into your unique motivations that separate you from others. Pursuing them sets you on the path of unlocking who you are and your creativity. Frequently, these will be things that do not appear pragmatic and sometimes may seem downright frivolous. A classic example is Steve Jobs’ curiosity for typefaces which led him to attend a seemingly useless class on typography and to develop his design sensibility. Later, this sensibility became an essential part of Apple computers and Apple’s core differentiator in the marketplace. A good way to tune into these interests is to ask yourself what you would do if you had a billion dollars.
Don’t Make Money Your Primary Consideration: If you’re looking to spend your life doing something you love, the best way to start is to treat financial concerns as secondary. If the practicality of what you do and how much money you earn are your primary criteria you will instantly limit your options to what’s predictable and getting to do what you love will be tough. On the other hand, if you allow yourself to pursue your curiosity, you will find yourself in the position of power and, eventually, in the position to earn money on your terms.”
Leaders can’t be followers. You need strong opinions and convictions and interests to lead others naturally. Otherwise you are constantly generating confidence instead of naturally radiating it. If you’re going to captain the ship that is your business venture, you need to find it in yourself to forge the tough path and break some of the shackles that link you to a run-of-the-mill existence.
Read the rest of the series:
Rule II — Exercise Aggresively
To learn more about Nate, visit www.natelind.com
