Finding a passion in life is one of the most important links in the circle of happiness. If you’ve ever felt passion for something, you know how it put a smile on your face and a skip in your steps. It’s a feeling that lifts your spirits and increases your energy level tenfold.
While finding passion doesn’t tick off all the boxes of things that will make you happy, it can add hours of satisfaction and joy to your day. Your passion may not be another person’s passion, but when it satisfies your needs and lifts your mood, it’s worth pursuing no matter how others view it.
Whether your passion is dancing or reading, finding time to pursue it each day or whenever you can will bring stellar moments of happiness to your life and widen and satisfy the other areas of happiness such as self-esteem and socialization.
It may not have occurred to you that having a passion would bring you happiness because you’ve always thought of it as having “things.” A new car, home, lots of money and other luxuries are what comes to mind when people think of “having it all” for complete happiness.
You may be surprised to learn that happiness also includes other areas in your life such as good relationships, great career path, humor and love. Happiness is actually composed of links in a circle – each must be satisfied to complete the circle and bring you the happiness you’re searching for.
Your passion won’t suddenly appear or be clear to you in a moment. You may have already brought a passion into your life and don’t realize it yet. It could be a hobby that makes you happy when you spend time enjoying it.
Maybe you volunteered at a clinic, animal rescue center or soup kitchen and felt such a sense of happiness with what you were doing – but it didn’t occur to you to see it as a passion.
A passion can truly transform your life and help you realize who you are and what you were meant to do. But, do it for yourself and not an eventual payoff. You can get much satisfaction in learning to play the piano in your 80s, but may never see yourself as becoming a concert pianist. Just to sit and play some favorite tunes for yourself can boost your happiness and your self-confidence.
Your passion doesn’t have to be something you’re certified for or good at. You can be happy with a passion that’s for your pleasure – and yours only. No one else has to understand it. As long as it makes you happy – go for it.