Refining Your Search for Passion

I have many friends wondering what they want to do with their lives, having a hard time figuring out what their passion is. Tonight in talking to a friend I realized, I want to be creative. It hit me like a new thought, with delight, with resonance. But where was this thought hiding? I know this about myself. I have been singing to the daffodils since I was 3. I created a classroom for my teddy bears. In my free time I write, scrapbook, make collages and mixed CDs. And I forgot, I like to be creative? How does this happen? Where does the information go while I'm so desperately looking for any clue to my passion?

It's as if we are looking to the world, for an image, a result that matches what we believe our passion could be. I think when you are trying to find your passion you can't start with the result, but rather you have to pay attention to the first hint of positive emotion a smile, synchronicity, a moment of peace. You are the answer. Look into the qualities core to who you are. What makes you, you? Pay attention to what you love, what you attend to, the things that bring you peace, and the things that rejuvenate you. Your passion will be so obvious you'll wonder how it's possible you weren't able to see it. The answer is that your passion is so core to who you are that you don't see it as separate from yourself; therefore, it becomes invisible to you, and you are hard pressed to name it. Also, your passion doesn't exist in a world outside of yourself, so just looking in the world will never work. You've got to refine your search to include your internal experience as well.