Regret or Passion? Which Will Be Yours?

I once attended a retreat on how to live with passion and fulfill one's life's work. The facilitator posed the question, "If money was not an issue, yet you had to work full-time, what would you do?" Answering this question was a turning point for me. Now - years later - I am doing much of what came up in my answer.

How would you answer this question? Ask yourself, "What am I good at? What do my friends say I am good at? What do I enjoy and feel passionate about? What do I think is important?" The key to your happiness may well be held in the answers.

The answers may not provide you with something you would do on a full-time basis, but it is a wonderful way to discover what will make your life more complete. The willingness to acknowledge and act on the answers may well create the opportunity to live with more passion and joy than you ever thought possible.

In the answers lie your dreams. They will provide you with a road map of where you can put your energy in order to move closer to a more fulfilling and balanced life. Perhaps for you the answers will be an indication of where you can volunteer your time. Living with passion and joy means we don't have to have a monetary gain for everything we do. Many a career has been launched through the experiences gained from volunteer efforts.

Far too many people have dreams they have given up on. We often blame others or outside circumstances for the fact we are not accomplishing all we desire. Granted, there may be some outside circumstances that create real limitations. However, in many cases we may be using imagined limitations as an excuse to not move forward. It can be easier to blame other people and situations as the reason we have not achieved our potential than to walk through the fear of the unknown.

Limitations appear in many ways. Experience. Money. Time. Education. You name it, it is bound to be there. One of the greatest limitations is that of the mind. Determine which obstacles are real and which ones are imagined. Which excuses have been used over and over so that you will not have to face the fear of the unknown? Once you identify your real and imagined limitations, you will be able to work with them and move forward.

Granted, there is a lot that can dampen our spirits if we allow it. However, there are many opportunities to achieve your dreams if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone, put effort into your vision and move forward little by little.

In order to break through your boundaries you must first realize what they are. Knowing what they are allows you to take action. Look for others who may have had similar roadblocks. Find out what they did to move forward. In their strategy may be your formula for success.

Are you secretly wishing you would do something with your life other than what you are doing, but fear holds you back? If you ask most people what their greatest regret is, more times than not they will say it is what they didn't do rather than what they did.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to others and ourselves is to unlock the talents we have been blessed with and to have the courage to use them. Ask yourself, "How well do I use my gifts to contribute to the well-being of myself and others?"

Will your life be filled with regrets or will it be filled with passion?

Kathleen Gage is a keynote speaker and business advisor based out of Draper, Utah. She is the author of several books including Message of Hope, Inspiring Thoughts for Uncertain Times. To sign up for Kathleen's free weekly inspirational thoughts visit http://www.turningpointpresents.com/mes sageofhope.htm

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