One thing I’ll never get used to in the context of my work, is how many people genuinely don’t know their passion(s). It’s such a common phenomenon!

You might think: So what? There are worse things in life, right? There’s starvation and war and diseases… And that’s true, of course. However, I believe the measure of a good life shouldn’t be that it could be worse. We should be grateful for what we’ve got, but there’s no harm in seeking (more of) what life’s supposed to be about.

And that, according to the wise and spiritually enlightened, is love, joy, and happiness. Enter passion(s)!

My aim with this article is to show you why passions, hobbies, interests, aren’t trivial things at all. Our modern society tells us they are, and that’s at the root of what’s wrong with the world. Conversely, elevating their importance is the key to making it right again – yes, they’re that important!

It’s worth finding what it is you love. Let me show you how.

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Fun facts about passions/hobbies/interests

Here are some cool facts about passions in a nutshell:

• It doesn’t matter how good you are at it. Passions, hobbies, or interests are as blissful for absolute beginners and not very talented people as they are for the pros. Actually, they might be more joyful for us dabblers because we can pursue them without the pressure of having to “perform” well. Which brings me to the next point,

• There’s zero obligation to become a professional and/or earn money with your passion (unless you really want to). I don’t know why this is such a foreign concept for so many. I mean, you love your kids, right? And they don’t make you money, either! Just love, be joyful, paint, write, knit, research, watch, travel, run to your heart’s content. Forget “useful”, think “joyful”.

• Nobody can take your passion away from you. Painful separation? You still have your passion. Someone doesn’t approve of your passion? Who cares, you don’t need their permission. As long as you don’t hurt anoyne, you can do what you like. Your passion depends on nobody other than yourself.

• Prioritising what lights you up makes you a true rebel. Society has taught us to smile condescendingly at somebody’s “little hobby”. Remember the jokes about collecting stamps? Or dad and his model railway? Excuse my language, but fuck all that. Good on them for doing what makes them happy. Time to take a leaf out of their book and show society the finger.

Passion at first sight?

In the past, I’ve made the distinction between a “hobby” and a “true passion”. These days, I believe that the boundaries are blurry.

Of course it’s true that not everything that catches your interest is a passion. You might like taking walks in nature without it being a passion. You might like music, but not enough to get truly enthusiastic about it.

On the other hand, waiting for a passion to light up your entire life is a bit like waiting for the “lightning strike” of falling in love at first sight. Life’s not always like that. Some people have had the love of their lives creep up on them from a longterm friend or a completely unexpected corner of their lives. The same goes for hobbies, interests and passions.

If you enjoy doing something, it might well be a passion. However, you’re probably reading this article to find out in a little more detail, aren’t you? All right, then: read on.

5 signs that you’ve found it

Not all of the following have to apply in order for something to qualify as “your thing”. If one or more are true, then chances are that you’re on to something.

With this in mind, here’s a number of signs telling you that you’ve found what you love:

1. You can’t shut up about it. Especially when you’ve just discovered your hobby, you just have to tell the world. Someone talks about their new car, and you go: “Yes, it’s the same colour as the sky in that photograph I took the other week, you see I had to use a filter to get the contrasts right and…” Another sign of this phenomenon is your friends glazing over when you go on about your hobby – again!

2. It's a bit like being in love. You know that tingly butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling when you’ve just fallen for someone entirely too gorgeous to be allowed? That’s what it feels like to first discover your passion. It’s like the whole world is in technicolour all of a sudden. You think of it first thing when you wake up. Except, the feeling doesn’t depend on anyone else and their actions!

3. You’re experiencing Flow. Flow is a rare state that overcomes us when we do something from the depth of our soul. Some call it being “in the zone”. It doesn’t even feel outrageously blissful, it’s more of a state where you’re completely present, in the moment, without second-guessing or over-analysing or doing anything other than, well, whatever it is you’re doing.

4. Meeting someone who shares your passion is amaaaazing. You get chatting to someone at a party, and after a few minutes, you discover that you’re into the same hobby. Instant connection! Your eyes light up and for the next two hours, nobody else gets a word in edgeways as the two of you enthusiastically talk about your passion, frequently at the same time.

5. You feel like you could do this all day. When you pursue your passion, hobby or interest, time tends to just disappear. You look up and realise that two hours have passed, when you could have sworn it’s been only a few minutes. That’s because time is artificial and joy is real. Like scissors cut paper, passions defeat time.

And that’s how you know! If you haven’t found your thing yet, keep looking. The most important part is to dare being bad at something. If you’re new to it, chances are you’ll suck, at least at first! That’s completely fine. Don’t look at how good you are or what quality you produce. You’re not there to produce at all, or be useful. You’re there to be happy.

Pay attention to how you feel. If any of your feelings resemble one of the five points above, you’ve struck gold.