Going through life without passion is not really living. Its hard enough going through life with a chronic illness, but when you couple that without a purpose – it is almost impossible. If you are passionate about something (anything), it gives you a reason to get out of bed – and work at getting healthy. I am not saying its easy….but it does make things a bit easier.
Don’t have a passion? Here is how to find something to inspire you.
- Take care of yourself, go for short walks outside. Fresh air is important for stimulation. How can you think clearly, when you are cooped up in a stuffy old house. Passion comes from great and inspirational ideas. There is very little out there, that is more inspiring than nature.
- Ask yourself, “when I was six, what did I want to be when I grew up?” Were you desperate to be a cowboy, or a nurse, or a garbage collector? Write down the qualities that these professions have that appeal to you. That may spark a little something.
- Spend time with passionate people. Or at least spend some time with people who like what they do for a living. It doesn’t have to be an energetic conversation. Invite a friend who is excited about life over for tea, and see how things develop.
- Appreciate what you have in life. No matter what is going on with you, you should be able to be grateful for at least something. Even when I am feeling at my worst, I can be grateful that I have the most comfortable pajamas on earth. Can you make a list of 5 things everyday? It won’t be easy to do this everyday, but I think 5 is a reasonable number to aim for.
- Do you have enough energy to take a night school class for a few weeks. Maybe photography is your thing~or you are determined to finally figure out how trigonometry works once and for all. A class lets you meet new people, and learning something new is an incredible high – which can turn into long lasting energy.
- Control what you can, and don’t obsess over the stuff that you can’t. If you are feeling absolutely horrible, and fighting it will make it worse, go back to bed – you can work on your passion tomorrow. But if you aren’t feeling too bad, try a little something. It might make you feel good to accomplish something.
- Write down your goals and ideas. Keep a creative journal. Not just one that states what you ate and how you feel; but write letters to yourself, draw some crazy pictures, sneak in little keepsakes between the pages. By figuring out what makes you happy, can help you discover a life long passion.
- Try taking on a volunteer position. You don’t have to make a huge commitment. Just a few hours a month. You will discover how great it is to be able to contribute again – and perhaps add some new skills to your resume.
And if you have a passion for something in your life, please share it. I love reading what everyone is up to.
**Picture source flickr.com
Jenna,
you have some pretty cool activities that you o. I am definitely going to check out that website, it sounds really neat.
Your pajamas sound cute. Don’t be sad about them being unique though. I LOVE UNIQUE!
as for pj tops…cotton long sleeved t-shirts from the gap make great tops for pajamas, and they are really comfortable.
I’m of mixed opinion on passion – I totally agree that it FEELS healthier, more connected, more human. But I equate “getting healthy” with a mostly level energy state, which slowly rises over time – and passion? Totally makes my energy charts sawtooth. I think I had a higher energy level overall (if barely), definitely had a more consistent energy level last year when I was new to the area, newly quit school, and didn’t know what to do with myself.
I have no intention to give up an ounce of passion though – this is Living! I’ve discovered some new ones since having all that time on my hands (hence the blog), but I occasionally find ways to play in my old field (did you know you can volunteer to catagorize galaxies from a huge astronomical survey they did a few years ago? http://www.galaxyzoo.org/), and I also play with ideas of what I’m going to do once I hit X goal and can survive a little work. Gives me something to look forward to.
But my favourite pajamas are the ones I’m in right now – blue plaid flannel with Snoopy as the WW1 Flying Ace all over them (made them, and out of sale fabric, so they might be unique – sob). I’m still trying to find the perfect pj top.
Abi,
I am not so sure the pajamas started off as the most comfortable, but being washed about 300 times, made them that way.
Still, I swear by flannel pajamas (even in the summer) and I have a few pair by Nick and Nora – that really soften up, once they have been washed a whole lot.
Usually other pajamas kind of itch my skin…but these ones dont.
You have a hammock? How very cool!
Dear Laura,
What are these mythical worlds most comfortable pajamas? And where can I get some? I’ve been looking for a new set for what feels like forever.
I’ve spent a lot of my time with CFS on an eternal quest for comfort, I have big feather pillows, snuggly blankets and even a hammock, but pajamas elude me still. Please help me!
Thanks,
Abi
Awesome.
Finding new ways to appreciate an old activity is a fabulous way to reconnect to something you are passionate about.
Excellent news. Send us the link when you are done.
I just got roped into helping a soccer website add the Women’s World Cup to their online TV schedule. Maybe I can’t play any more but I can still support the game.