We often disregard what we have in life for what we aspire to have. Indeed, it is human nature to look forward to evolution and progression but sometimes it’s worthwhile to take a step back and contemplate positively in the direction of acknowledging the beauty of this world, the life that you have been blessed with.
The beauty lies in positive mindsets, our relationships, profession, hobbies, and goals, often underrated in terms of importance. Have you ever thought about the connection between these? It’s the passion with which you carry them.
Take a step forward and find your passion. Find your passion that may lead you to a new phase of life, a version of you that you and the world never thought ever existed. Now let’s try to understand it better and learn about the five golden rules to a meaningful, passionate life.
1. STAY POSITIVE IN THE PRESENT
Are you dwelling on the past? Dwelling on the past is a trap that many of us often end up falling into, consumed by what might have been or how it was all so much better before. Cherish what you have been blessed with, count your blessings, and smile all the time.
The one-day-at-a-time approach
The basics of a happy life lie within the approach of dealing with “one day at a time”. It is that one principle that can be the door to all the secrets of a happy life. We tend to go deep into our thoughts thinking over and over about the worries of the future.
How about keeping the struggles limited to just the day that you are currently dealing with? It makes the equation simpler.
For example, if it is a struggle at your work, think that you are going to come home at the end of the day. So, why worry?
If it is a tough situation with a relationship, think that your feeling might be too impulsive for the moment.
One situation or an argument with a loved one can’t determine the state of your entire day or your general impression of that person and how they make you feel. In the end, it is the momentary impulse that wins when we let situations take over our lives.
Don’t let the bad days take over
Now let’s think a bit far. The overall quality of your life is generally perceived by how you are feeling about it at a certain moment. It is all in your hands.
Don’t let your bad days decide the worth of your life. A few negative events early in the day could put you in a negative frame of mind where you would create more stress for yourself.
You may snap at people, causing them to be a little ruder and a little less understanding with you. You may also notice more negative events and fewer positive events that happen to you.
Therefore, be thoughtful about it and make that conclusion with a peaceful state of mind. The decisions that you make daily, all contribute to the quality of your life.
2. NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
Each relationship in your life gets established with a purpose. The more closely you are connected to the people you know, or love, the happier you feel in general, leading to greater personal satisfaction[1]. There are mainly three layers: 1. Family, 2. Close friends; and 3. General people.
Family
The first layer of relationships is the dearest i.e., your family. This is the most fragile layer and needs your utmost attention. To keep the relationships with your family members healthy, you need to be vigilant.
Do not hold on to these relationships this tightly that they break, and do not let them this loose that they slip away from your hands.
The family deserves love, care, and attention and you deserve the same. Every time someone from your family shows care for you, acknowledge that and make them feel double as delighted as they made you feel.
In tough times, someone else may or may not stand beside you, your family (husband/wife/mother/father/brother/sister) surely will.
Close friends
The second layer is your close friends. Socrates famously said, “Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm & constant.” Friends are good to have but close friends are a dear blessing.
There are only a few people in your life who will care for you like your family. Even if it is one single person like that, it is more than enough.
Every time you fail, that close friend of yours will be ready to take the fall for you. That is why the bonds that you create with your close friends are special. They are nothing less than a gift, a blessing.
General people
Humans are born into social groups and live their entire lives as a part of society, so the social element can’t be easily removed from the evolution of an individual[2]. However, the level of socialization and its nature are extremely vital to understand.
The general people in your outer circle, here referred to as the third layer of your relationships. are another vital pillar. Although these bonds are not as strong as the others, it is good for your mental health to feel that you thrive in society.
You must not let any negative energy from society affect your mind. You will meet varieties of people. What is important is to selectively socialize with like-minded people. Having said that, nurture relationships with those that you feel good exchanging views with.
3. FIND YOUR PASSION IN THE PROFESSION
Work-life balance
Work-life balance is a relatively familiar term nowadays, but it is often misunderstood or not enough well explained. In simple terms, work-life balance can be defined as your ability to draw a sharp line between work and everything else[3]. You should never let work influence your life and vice versa.
However, as easy as it sounds it is not as practical to implement. Your 9 to 5 is what earns the bread and butter for the family. It is therefore a significant part of your life but make sure to switch off from work when you come home. Often, the stress from the workplace gets carried home.
What if you were able to minimize the stress levels? Well, the answer to this question lies in the possibility to find your passion in your profession or finding a passion that can also be your profession. Having passion at work affords people purpose.
Without purpose, people drift through life underachieving, and often, that sense of under or non-achievement can eat at their sense of self-worth[4].
Passion-filled work weeks
Imagine starting a day excited about the things you are going to achieve in your profession and ending the day on a positive note with more accomplishments than stress.
It is also recommended that you continue to shift jobs until you find the one that complements your personality, that you find your passion in, and ultimately helps you to grow not only professionally, but also personally to have a relaxed mind and soul.
There is nothing like the right time to find your passion. Don’t keep thinking that one special day will come for that. Now is the moment and now is the perfect time to start.
Don’t let your passion take a back seat. Because when you will be 70 years old, you won’t even remember who your boss was, but you will surely remember the joy you got when you helped yourself find your passion and more so when you helped yourself follow your passion.
Flag the burnout!
Sometimes people fail to flag burnout. Every car needs fuel to keep going. If the fuel runs out, the car stops. The same is with our mind and body. If we keep pushing the body without giving it the fuel which is “rest” in this case, the body will give up.
It takes months for people to recover from burnout. You don’t want to be going a year back in life and restarting from where you left off.
Any symptoms in behavior, sleep patterns, and eating habits should be observed and flagged so that the person can go into recovery mode as soon as possible.
4. FIND YOUR PASSION IN HOBBIES
Life is a lot more than your 9 to 5
Everything besides your job that keeps you happy, positive, productive, and motivated is more important than your job itself. While work is important to gain money, and experience, and ultimately increase your value, having hobbies can lead to similar outcomes[5].
Hobbies and recreation help you disconnect from worldly problems and unwanted desires. If a sport is one of your hobbies, not only does your mind and soul heal, but your body also stays more active during your work week.
The first thing is to know what recreational activity you are passionate about. If you don’t have any, try to find your passion, and try out new activities with your family, friends, or even yourself. Once you know what you like, make sure to reserve time for it every week.
For example, a Saturday or a Sunday from your weekend could be fully dedicated to it. Invest time in your passion and if needed, money as well. You never know, tomorrow your hobby or your passion could be your actual profession earning a livelihood for you and your family.
Adopt a morning ritual
Also, mind, body, and soul go hand in hand. Even if you have a sound mind and soul, improper routines and eating habits can lead your body into an unhealthy state, and healthy eating adds to happiness, not just by protecting one’s health but also in other ways.[6]
Adopting a morning ritual can be a good start for you to passionately care for your body. Among the examples are walking the dog around the block, doing simple stretches in your living room, and heading to the gym for a workout.
It can also be as simple as just sipping your coffee as you read a book, spending ten minutes of your morning time in things that you find your passion in such as writing in your journal, or even simple and subtle meditation[7].
5. REMEMBER TO LIVE WITH GOALS, NOT REGRETS
Sung Kang famously said: “Life is simple, make choices and don’t look back.” Sometimes, it is better to let the heart take over than to let the mind over-analyze and decide on something that you are not so passionate about. We all know life is unpredictable.
There could be just a day left and there could be several decades to come. It is not in our hands. What is in our hands is what we bring out of it.
Have things to look forward to in your calendar
To keep life always exciting, you should have things to always look forward to – the things in which you find your passion hidden.
It can be, for example, booking a travel trip to your favorite destination, going to a concert, or even just a movie in the cinema.
Plans will make your lives adventurous. Otherwise, you might be just stuck in the loop of Monday to Sunday with no new fun activities that could relax your mind, refreshing you for the next work week. Some might argue that giving too much structure to life can be harmful.
What about the goals of your life?
Have you thought about the roadmap for your life in the form of short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals?
As an example, let’s suppose you are a college-going student. You could have the following short, medium, long-term, and end-life goals in the direction to find your passion:
| Short-term goals: (Goals to achieve within a year or two): “The past semester has been overburdening. I would like to balance my next semester by introducing some time for football. Also, in six months I will have enough savings to buy a gaming laptop.” Medium-term goals: (Goals to achieve within 5-10 years): “I aspire to be working in the IT industry as with a good pay scale. Plus, it would be great if I can land a job in Europe. In parallel to my job, I wish to travel around Europe in my free time.” Long-term goals: (Goals to achieve within 15-20 years): “Having my dream car, and a dream home would definitely be on my list. By that time, I also wish to have traveled to at least 50 countries and met thousands of people. I would probably also be a better person by then.” End of life goal: “I want to travel to all countries of the world, accumulating experience and learnings from all sorts of people with the aim that I don’t have a single regret about any phase of my life.” |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Q.1 Should everyone socialize in the same way?
A.1 No. Being social or asocial is a relative term. If you know yourself as a shy, introverted kind of person, you should not try to be social, but selectively social. This means that you limit your socialization to only a selected set of people that always look forward to meeting you and sharing positive energy. It is important to first familiarise yourself and then with others.
Q.2 I don’t think I have any close friends. Should I be socializing with that in mind?
A.2 Friendships cannot be planned and made. If you never had a close friend, probably your life was too varied, you moved places and never settled in society. If that’s the case, your family is then both your first layer and the second layer. Start acknowledging that. You will never fall short of people in life that genuinely care about you.
It is all about identifying those people, doesn’t matter family or close friends or even far friends who could eventually become your close friends one day. Just keep your interactions as natural as possible. Your personality will guide you to the right set of people that you are destined to meet. You might meet someone who can be your support, guide you or help you find your passion.
Q.3 I don’t know if I have a hobby or a passion. What should I do?
A.3 Hobbies are individual-specific. To find your passion or your hobby, try to learn more about yourself in terms of your interests, and activities in any form of art that keep you addicted to an extent. It is important to try out new things to find your passion.
Who knows, a new sport you try today might be your hobby tomorrow, passion the day after, and profession later. The sky is the limit. If you try 10 things and don’t get connected with any, the conclusion is that you’ve eliminated those 10 from your thoughts on focus on another 10.
Q.4 I am more productive at night. Should I still try to keep a morning routine?
A.4 Ideally, it is advisable to save the mornings. If you start your day on a good note, you probably will end up being more productive, passionate, and cheerful. As an exception, you can still have a morning routine even if you wake up late. Basically, it will be a late start to the morning. If you are able to organize the rest of your day, you could still have rather a ‘late morning routine.
Q.5 Is it okay if my goals are all materialistic?
A.5 Absolutely yes. Goals are a great way to hold ourselves accountable, even if we fail. Setting goals and working to achieve them will help you define what you actually want in life. Creating goals will also help you to prioritize things. If instead, you choose to simply wander through life, without a goal or a plan, that’s certainly your choice.
The central objective here is for you to keep yourself upbeat, motivated, and excited about your life. Anything that brings a smile on your face whilst not bringing a frown on another’s, is a thing to care about and aspire for. The only thing you must not forget is your relationships (especially the first layer and the second layer). Find your passion and move ahead keeping all bonds intact.
DO YOU HAVE PLANS ON THE CALENDAR?
We discussed having plans on the calendar. So, do you already have things to look forward to? Have you already started planning at the back of your mind?
If still not, think about the things that you find your passion in. They can be your favorite destinations, food items/cuisines, movies, or even something abstract that you know about but never had the chance to try.
Money is of no worth sitting in your bank account, let it give you the experiences that you would want to remember for a lifetime.
We wait to hear from you about your plans and goals for the remainder of this year. Remember, a new year means new goals, and ultimately new adventures for your happy, positive, meaningful, motivated, passionate and carefree life.
As they say, “Stop looking at the empty part of the glass, start focusing on the part that is still filled with water.”
REFERENCES
- The Irish Times – https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/parenting/the-importance-of-relationships-and-belonging-1.3405948
- Medical News Today – https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321019
- Veenhoven, R. (2021). Will healthy eating make you happier? A research synthesis using online findings archive. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 16(1), 221-240. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-019-09748-7
- The Simplicity Habit: https://www.thesimplicityhabit.com/simple-habits-for-a-happier-life/
