Passion is any emotion, which moves and motivates you, it reflects your deepest yearnings – but how does one find your passion? This emotion can be your intensity or zeal; it can be love or hate, or your enthusiasm. To motivate people, there is a spark, a desire, or some inspiration that will get people started and keep them moving towards an objective. Some have compared passion to a wave in the ocean, once it gets started; there is nothing that can stand in its way. Obstacles in the path of the wave are swept away as the wave moves towards its objective, which in this case is the shore.

So what in your life is the underlying force that makes you what you are, what makes you do what you do? What is it that you think about, dream about, talk about, or act on it? What do the desires of your heart look like? Let’s start with a few questions to assist in defining or finding your passion:

What are you good at? If money was no longer a concern, what would you do? Are there things you do where you loose track of time? What are the things you enjoy enough that you would do it for free? Are there things you always enjoyed doing – even as a child? What stimulates you, makes you feel good about yourself?

As you read through your the answers to the questions, are you able to see any trends or similar responses in your answers? If so, you may have a lead on your passion. If you are still a bit "all over the board" with your answers, you may wish to do the exercise a couple of days later without first reviewing your last answers. Compare what you wrote this time and look for similarities and differences. If you still are having trouble, find a couple of individuals who know you well and will give you honest feedback. Ask them how they would answer the first and last question from what they have noticed about you, or you have previously shared with them.

Don’t be discouraged if the answer doesn’t come easily or isn’t as clear as you would like it to be. When one takes the initiative to move in a direction, new or otherwise, the path becomes clearer the longer you stay on it. You will find areas of interest and move in that direction, you will also find areas where you know you don’t want to go and you will move away from them. It is a process of defining and refining your interests that will lead you closer and closer to your true passion.

Understand as one moves through their life, their passions can change. At one point you may feel you know for certain what you wish to spend the rest of your life doing, only once you get there, it suddenly isn’t as interesting. Situations in your life can change your focus. Be open to starting a new journey, don’t just stick with the old one as what once was fun and you couldn’t wait to do it, will become a real chore.

If you are having trouble finding and pursing your passion, be cautious so you don’t become attracted to unhealthy ones such as alcohol, spending your waking hours in front of the television or on the phone, constant shopping, overeating or other such activities which can consume your life. Use judgment and discernment with unhealthy passions like these – they can provide an escape, a way to dull the pain, but will never lead to the a level of fulfillment as will your true passion. When pursing any passion, balance it against your value system, your beliefs, and how it will impact your family and others you love.

Once you have identified an area you feel may be your passion, test it out and experiment. If it is a new area for you, perhaps there is a way you can volunteer or be exposed to it through others. Gather information from reading, use the Internet to learn more, talk to individuals who are already knowledgeable in that area. Don’t be in a rush, take your time and fully evaluate this is what you wish to pursue, but keep moving forward.

Once you have identified your passion, you become infectious, contagious, and invincible. And just like the ocean wave, you will overcome the obstacles in your path on the way to achieving your dreams and desires.