A Story on Passion and Feeling Great + an awesome free Worksheet

Back in June before leaving for summer holidays I went for a coffee with a dear girlfriend that studied with me in Business School. She had decided to leave her job after a vey stressful year and because it burned out all her energies . She was so disappointed because she loved the sector she was working in but it just wasn't working for her wellbeing. At first she wanted to find another job straight away because the uncertainty of being stuck in a limbo was too much to bear . But then she started to actually slow down and dedicate more time to her health and reflect on what what she wanted from her career. 

She tried out different activities just for the sake of it and thought back about which aspects of her job actually excited her and which drained her.

We had one of that heart to heart passionate conversations and it inspired me to share more about what finding your passion actually means for me.

She asked me about how I had found out what I was passionate about and if there was a specific moment in which it all clicked. And my answer was mixed. My transition from a prospective corporate career to becoming a coach wasn't definitely a linear path, and it's still totally a work in progress.

But on the other side what "clicked" was the feeling of being on the right path, a path that is much more aligned with me as a person. This doesn't mean that it's a linear path or a narrow one. It's pretty wide and full of ups and downs. The only thing I know for sure it's that I'm following what lights me up in that moment, I'm following the breadcrumbs on what brings me joy, that happen to be in the field of personal development and wellbeing in this moment.

What does this alignment feels like you may ask ?

Good question! For me it's a feeling of inner peace. You belong there and do not feel the fear of missing out happiness elsewhere.

I remember few years ago when I was studying and considering internships and sectors, I felt really unstable. I saw how I was following the linear path that had to lead me to a great and well paid challenging career in Marketing , but I wasn't satisfied about the other aspects on my life and I knew that if I had to venture into this perspective I would have overworked myself and lead with the more masculine and efficient side of me loosing other parts of my personality which are the fun, quirky and spontaneous ones that make me feel like myself. And I didn't want that.

It always felt like my external choices and circumstances were key to my happiness and if they weren't fitting me perfectly it would have been a big disappointment and mess. It was like being on a boat during a storm and hoping that the wind would have taken me in a safe harbour but with no control on the driving .

The moment I opened up to questions like What does really matter to me? And how do I want to feel in my life right now? another way of thinking gradually took form in my head.

I was 24 and I visualized myself feeling energized, in good shape, in colorful clothes, simply vibrant and feeling good in my skin. I wanted to feel connected heart to heart with people and not from behind excel sheet. I wanted to feel grounded and safe, in a place I could call home and not on a crazy boat!

And slowly and gradually, by turning inwards I got to know myself a bit more, slowed down the attempt to control all the external circumstances, and discovered that the boat wasn't moving so fast anymore. That the more I felt stable inside the more the outside felt ok too. And another incredible thing, that when things on the outside weren't looking ideal, when problem arises and when I changed direction for my career, it didn't really matter anymore to have it all figured out because it felt "right" anyways. Even when I didn't have a business plan to follow and I found myself selling sushis in a fair for a couple of weekends, I was happy because I was experimenting and having fun and I dint identify myself with the jobs itself . I didn't need more information than that.

This is not to say that the path of alignment is easy and once you know it the work is over. It's quite the opposite and in my first year of transition the doubts were a daily reality and I had to trust on something that felt completely intangible and pretty crazy. I seriously thought I was mad and not clever so many times. But that inner knowing was enough to keep me going.

Maybe in 1 year I will change what I want to do but as long as it's aligned with who I will be and it feels good in my heart , that's all I need to know.

If you're going through the same uncertainty or if you know something else is out there for you but you have no clue where to start because you don't know what your passions are, I created a "PASSION TEST" which is quick, fun and practical and will help you in only 10 minutes to uncover your real passions and guide you to the next step for a more fulfilled life.