Your passions depict a portrait of your soul. A beautiful work of art showcasing the things that make you who you are. The pieces of your life that prove your humanity; enhance your capabilities.
The things you love are a part of you. Like your heart, they are vital to your well-being.
So what happens when the things you love are tested? How do you get through a negative critic of your skating ability? How do you respond when you’re told you aren’t strong enough to run a marathon?
Before you even consider an answer, let me divulge what you shouldn’t do. Don’t stop. Refuse to give in. When another puts down your love of photography, don’t stop capturing those gorgeous portraits.
Sometimes, life gets messy. The time we set aside for ourselves may slip through our fingers. Life’s realities often force their way in. You begin to think there simply isn’t enough time in a day to continue your love of dance.
If you firmly believe this, changing your mind will be tough. But if you’re willing to reconsider, think about the following points. No matter how much you ignore them, your passions are worth your time.
– Getting Better Takes Time.
Practice certainly does make perfect. Or, at the very least, acceptable.
With proper motivation and ability, you can become the world’s most renowned fisherman. Over time, your desire to compete in that triathlon will come into fruition.
But it won’t happen overnight. It may take years to earn that leading fisherman title. Strength training for that triathlon could take months or longer depending on your situation.
If you love it, why give up so easily? Why stop muscle training if you haven’t given yourself a chance? Allow yourself time to get better – especially with the things you love most. Stopping 2 weeks in because you haven’t mastered a Slash guitar solo only hurts yourself.
– Only You Know Your True Potential.
When you start something new, decide you love it, and treat it with care – it’s easy to get lost in a critic’s remarks. But your desire to pursue this dream has more strength than a naysayer’s bite.
Your potential is vast. At first, you may not know just how capable you are. But you will. So why let an outsider knock you down before you’ve figured it out for yourself?
Maybe you have a bad day – it happens. Letting a critic stop you from continuing on that particular day is pointless. By doing so, you’re simply allowing your own downfall. You don’t want that, do you?
Figured not.
Learn your potential. Gather enough courage to disarm a critic’s remark – especially those of an outsider. It’ll do wonders for your self-empowerment.
– You Don’t Know What You’ll Achieve Until You Try.
Wishing won’t get you anywhere.
If you love writing and want to pursue it, go for it. Your painting skills will never get better if you don’t pick up a brush for years. Your love of cooking won’t blossom unless you let it happen.
If you love it, pursue it. Don’t stop midway through training because the road ahead looks tough. No matter your path, the monsters you face will be scary. And they could pop out at any moment.
But your achievements will make those monsters whimper in awe. So don’t give up before you’ve finished training for that marathon. You know you want to go through with it. Why not try?
If you love it, it’s worth the risk. So go for it. What have you really got to lose?
– Is Regret a Chance You Want to Take?
How wonderful it’d be if you could decide to stop working towards that degree without an ounce of concern. How nice it’d be to simply stop writing without wondering how it could have been. Without regretting that move – quite possibly for the rest of your life.
Didn’t get out of that dead-end job while you were still young? Kept at it because you thought, passively, that it would get better? Used it as a security blanket to cloak your true dreams because the transition would have been tough?
You’re likely regretting that move – or rather, the lack of a move – now, right?
Lucky for you, it’s never too late to pursue what you love. Living with regret because you didn’t take that opportunity a few years back is not an ideal life. Sure, certain things can’t be helped. Sometimes family, forces outside your realm of control, and the actions of others get in the way of progress. Not purposefully. But it happens.
So if you wish to pursue photography and a solid opportunity arises – take it! You’ll only pity yourself years down the road while you complain about the chance you could’ve taken. If only you tried.
Don’t live in regret. Don’t stop doing what you love to cater to another and their closed-minded ideals. You’re worth it – go for it!
– Consider What You Want Most Out Of Life.
Have you thought about your future?
Consider where you hope to be in a year. Now broaden the scope to 5 years. Try 10. Keep going until you’ve uncovered your ultimate goal. Does it include the thing you love most?
Maybe you love leadership roles and eventually hope to lead a group of successful business leaders. Perhaps you enjoy helping others and want to change the world. If you can visually picture yourself running that business team or helping underdeveloped countries stand their ground – why stop?
Why stop doing what you love? So what if it takes time? Who cares if a few critics knock you down a few notches? Pick up the pieces, stand your ground, and keep moving. If you want something, you have to go for it. You must take that thing you love most to the next level.
Whether you’re a closet artist or a street musician – you should pursue those things now. Do it now before you live to regret it. Pursue what you want most out of life. It won’t take long for you to realize how solid that decision was.
Don’t Stop Pursuing What You Love Most
It’s one thing to discontinue running if you hate it. But if the endorphins and exhilaration make you happy, and you love it, don’t give it up. Not without a fight.
Why give in when you’ve got such potential?
Take care of your dreams. Don’t let them go down without a fight.
Wise words and definitely worth rereading when the going gets tough. Great post!
Keisha, thank you for the kind thoughts! Regaining strength, believing in your passions again – this is never easy. Glad to have helped. And thanks for reading!