Life is full of experiences. The way we interpret the meaning of those experiences is up to each of us. Just like we all have different preferences in music and food, we also have different ways of understanding the people and events that happen around us.
A few weeks ago, I started to feel frustrated. There were things happening that I did not agree with, things that were not directly affecting me, but still indirectly affected the way I operated in the world. These were things I wanted to change. They were things that I thought could have been handled better or at least handled differently.
As life would have it, people started coming to me for advice on what they should do about their own frustrating situations. Now, this is not a coincidence. I have learned enough to know that I will find what I am looking for. The brain is an amazing organ that seeks what you ask it to seek and solves the problems that you ask it to solve.
If you talked to me over the past several weeks, and you happened to ask me how I was doing, then you heard me say something like…”I’m looking for the positive.” That’s my way of reminding myself of what Thumper said in Bambi, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” I was well aware of my personal outlook. I was also aware that my outlook could easily sway the opinions of the people I talked to.
Fortunately, I found the positive that I was looking for, but not in the place I thought I would find it. Isn’t that the way it goes? I truly believe that God is the Divine Comedian. He will show me what I need to see, but usually in a completely different way than I expected.
Here’s what I found…purpose and passion can make the biggest difference when you’re trying to move from frustration to fulfillment. These past couple of weeks, while I was looking for the positive, I have met some amazing people who are completely in love with what they are doing with their lives. I’ve met politicians, engineers, homemakers, project managers, teachers, and insurance agents who truly believe that they are making a difference in the world by doing what they do.
That is the positive that I needed to see. I didn’t know it at first, but my frustration was related to seeing apathy in the people I thought should have been passionate about what they were doing. I was frustrated by watching people go through the motions when a little more passion could have made a big difference for a lot of people.
These conversations reminded me of a couple of lessons that I thought I had learned…
- Focus on what you can control
- Celebrate the small wins
- Remember who you do it for
- Talk about the positive
- You will find what you look for
So, what’s the point of all this talk about passion and purpose? If you don’t know why you do what you do, you will probably feel frustrated. If you allow yourself to focus on the things you can’t control, you will probably feel frustrated. If you are not doing what you are called to do, you will almost certainly feel frustrated.
But, if you can notice when you are feeling frustrated, look for the positive, and remind yourself to focus on what you can control, then you can move back toward that amazing feeling of fulfillment.
Most people who read this probably know what it feels like to be in a flow state and be completely engaged in what you are doing. You have probably experienced the feeling that what you are doing right now is exactly what you are supposed to be doing right now.
But, I realize that some people may have never felt this way…this feeling of fulfillment. If you haven’t, here are some pointers to move you in that direction:
- Pay attention to the things you love to think, read, learn, and talk about
- Find ways to build more of those things into your day
- Notice the way you feel when you make time to do something you love
- Talk about the things that make you feel alive
- Above all, share your passion with others because passion is contagious.
Can you imagine what our world would be like if everyone could find and do something they love?
Thank you!