Passion. You can’t buy it, but it’s what runs the world—for better or worse. Whether it’s an eager desire to make bank or to cure cancer, passion fuels people. Yes, I do love Pinterest and peanut butter, but some of my biggest passions are travel and writing… hence the travel blog… if you haven’t caught that yet.
I believe each of us is gifted with a passion or two whether it be for mental health, exercise or a foreign language. And even though we love it more than anything, sometimes we run dry. We’re tired and exhausted, wondering why in the world we ever poured so much time and effort into this hobby, interest or profession. So, here are four tips for you to help you do what you love again—and actually love it:
Take breaks
If you are forcing yourself to UGH JUST DO WHAT YOU LOVE!!!, you probably aren’t going to love it much if it’s a chore. But yes, there is a line between pushing yourself to be your best and taking a break. (Also, if you’re categorizing your passion as your job, you probably don’t just want to take off for the Bahamas because this blog post told you to…) I love blogging and travel, but that doesn’t mean I have to love it enough to do these activities 24/7. Because sometimes life gets crazy, and you need to take time for yourself or for those close to you. Don’t beat yourself up; it doesn’t mean you don’t love your passion anymore. Breaks may mean taking a whole week (or month!) off. It may mean not completely stopping but cutting back.
Stop comparing yourself
I recently met a sweet gal named Cate and found out she had a blog. And, of course, Habit & Heart is beautiful and just goals! It’s so easy to look at an adorable blog like Cate’s or a friend’s intense dedication to the elliptical (several steps above yours) and just think, What am I doing with my life? I’m just an amateur. But as my wise older sister likes to remind me, your passion is for YOU. It’s easy to get caught up in better than, not as good as, I’m just lame sauce. But if your passion is for you, seek to improve YOU, not prove yourself to someone—whatever that even means. Because you’ll never achieve where you think you want to go. In the wonderful words of Andy Stanley, “there’s no win in comparison.” And no words have rung more true. And the moment you stop comparing, you can team up with those gal pals and get pro blog advice, have a workout buddy, learn new recipes or develop your foreign language conversation skills. And you can breathe easy because it’s not a competition.
Take a chill pill
Remember the moment you graduated high school and you said sayonara, au revoir and peace out, homies to all those mean girls and kids who thought their supposed “status” made them better than you? Yeah, you kissed that and them goodbye. So, why does this timeless game of popularity continue into adulthood? (I’m low-key perfect at not doing this, right? Lol jk jk jk) But seriously your passion shouldn’t be measured in popularity or success. Engage in your passion to develop yourself, not to get the most clicks or most views or most compliments. And not even so you can look HOT in that dress. Because then your passion is simply an outlet for you to reel in the praise.
Get some inspo
Okay, you’ve taken a break, stopped comparing yourself and swallowed a chill pill by now, right? But now you’re just feeling tired and exhausted. It’s not the other bloggers, bakers or body builders; you’re just not feeling it. When you pour your heart into a passion, it’ll wear you out, for sure. So it’s time to step back and get some inspiration so the ideas and motivation can flow. I love reading other blogs such as World of Wanderlust or Melyssa Griffin. But at the end of the day, Pinterest takes the cake. No matter what your passion is, I’m confident you’ll be able to find some ideas, inspiration or just a nice brain break.
It’s one thing to read these tips and think, Alright, I love my passion again, and it’s going to be perfect!! But the real question is what are you going to do about it? Choose one of the four tips and run with it this week. I’m going to take a chill pill and not check my blog stats for one week. And I dare you to take my challenge!
Bises,
Kristin
{What’s your passion? How do you refresh when you feel exhausted or frustrated with your passion?}
