Many people I’ve encountered have a similar question with regards to finding your passion and turning it into a reality. They don’t doubt that following your passion is a path to happiness, that’s common sense. Do what you love and you’ll be happy… easy. That’s not the part they struggle with. Rather, they often times find a disconnect between the feasibility of turning something that they love into something sustainable as a lifestyle. That, is a critical difference, one that I will try my best to explain and perhaps give some insight on.

We all have things we love to do. Things that get our heart rate up just by thinking about them. Things we find a way to accomplish even when we are tired and exhausted. For many, the problem is not dedication nor hard work (for others it might be…). Rather, it’s the notion that the passion we have or the purpose we have defined for ourselves, is not tangible. When people find themselves in this situation, they become fearful of the outcome of the unknown – especially if what you think your purpose is is something that has not been done before or does not fit within the conventional understanding of a career path. In such a scenario, too many people let go of their passion, and settle for something safer, something that’s been proven to work even if it does not make them as happy. But why must we let go of what we love? What is the secret to making something we truly enjoy doing, something we can enjoy doing as a lifestyle and even as a career?

To answer this question, we must step back a little bit. As I’ve said before on countless occasions, we are overloaded with so much information on a daily basis that it becomes hard to decipher what is what. We forget small things here and there, lose track of others, and ultimately become detached from many elements of the reality of our humanity. In this plethora of information we forget that everything we do in our lives has an impact on other people. While we sit at desks at our jobs we forget that every click we make on the computer will at some point have an impact on somebody’s life. Each email you open is time spent by somebody else reaching out to you. This, has been the critical realization for me. When you remember that what you so has a relationship with other people, you can begin to share the understanding that we are all trying to find our passions – we are all trying to live our dreams.

The real secret to turning your passions and dreams into realities is to share the joy you feel, with other people. Think of artists, musicians, filmmakers, athletes, and even successful businesses. What makes them successful is their ability to bring joy to other people too, not just themselves. They have found ways to turn their happiness into something others can feed off of. Our most valuable resource is each other. If you are on the fence about how to follow your passion, or where to even start, think about how you following your purpose will impact others. What will other people feel when they hear what you do, or see what you make? How will they feel after your encounter with them is over? Find a way to turn that passion into something that people can enjoy too. Something people can relate to. Something people can feel a part of. The “WHY” of what you do should always be traceable back to something of an emotion, or a feeling you can leave with people. That’s when they start to seek the happiness you provide. Down the road, those can be clients, customers, or just supporters, but it comes from a place of letting your passion be shared with others. As I’ve said before, people will remember you for how you make them feel, not necessarily for what you do.

When you love what you do, the feeling becomes contagious. People buy into your work because they see how much you love it. That kind of dedication can only stem from something you’re passionate about. So follow your passion and find your happiness, and don’t forget to share it too.

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