What To Do If You Haven’t Found Your Passion

By Brian Maynor

 

I love motivating people to live their dreams, but some people struggle with discovering their passion and defining their dreams.

It is more common with people thirty and over because we tend to live life by a more ridged set of rules, programs and expectations.  Younger generations have an easier time following their dreams at times because that is what we expect them to do.  Once it’s time to ‘settle into life and your career’ it becomes a lot harder, and without a clear vision it’s possible to end up jumping from job to job in utter frustration.

Think about your upbringing, encouragement to challenge the status quo or question the expectations of our family, teachers and peers is very rare, if ever given.  We are taught to follow set rules without question and often that leads to living a life you never really engaged in creating.

As cliché as it may be, it’s not too late.  Here are a few tips for anyone struggling with finding their passion:

1.  Take a personal assessment.  This is the necessary first step, and possibly the first time to really sit down and think about what you want and what makes you happy.  Ask yourself questions like:  Do I feel excited about what I’m doing?  Do I wake up eager to do a better job than yesterday?  Does time fly by when you’re at work with a sense of enthusiasm?  These are a great gauge of where you are now and how happy you are with your current situation.

2.    Why is it important to find your passion?  All of the positive attributes laid out in last week’s article aside, the one-word answer is regret.  Do you really want to wake up one day in your 80s and realize that you wasted your entire life following someone else’s dream?

3.    Expect struggles and challenges.  Finding and following your dreams is great, but it’s not always smooth sailing.  It just makes the bumps more bearable.  One of the worst things you can do is compare yourself and your progress to anyone else, especially people who are farther along in their journey.  Remember, every journey has a beginning.

4.    Confusion and frustration are normal and to be expected.  If you find that you’re constantly focusing on life’s challenges and difficulties when you start thinking about following your dreams you’re simply procrastinating.  These are distractions we use to avoid making hard choices or decisions we know we must in order to be truly happy.

5.    Go back to your childhood.  Remember when you could play for hours without ever getting bored?  That was a time when you knew who you were without any pressure from society.  Recall those memories and how you filled your days.  It is a major clue to your passions and a guide to how you should be spending your days now.

7.    Starting over is okay.  Learning to interpret and act on our feelings takes practice and our feelings change; so don’t expect to nail your new life the first time.  Just don’t stay in a place that you know isn’t right out of obligation or fear.

It’s easy to get caught in the rat race of life and dismiss our dreams as unrealistic because they are unique or different from what is expected.  Guess what, you are unique and different from everyone else on the planet, so celebrate that fact.  Don’t bury it under conformity or you risk burying your happiness along with it.

 

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

 

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

 

 

 

I am always curious to hear about your weekend wardrobe dilemmas and help make your work wardrobe pull double duty.  Email your questions, quandaries and conundrums to [email protected].  Also find each of these storyboards at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.

 

 

About Brian Maynor

Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.

 

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