What will motivate you?

True passion is the most powerful driving force you can bring into your life.

by Ada Porat — 

If you have goals that you are not making much progress on, ask yourself this question: Why do I want to accomplish them? In other words, what is the passion that drives you to work toward your goals?

This form of self-questioning leads to uncovering your true passion — the secret motivating power that gives meaning to all purpose and achievement. True passion is the most powerful driving force you can bring into your life.

Without passion, even the smallest tasks can turn into a slog. Lack of passion is the cause of many puzzling failures, and for good reason. Without it, there is no purpose or power to assist in overcoming difficulties.

And yet, not every source of passion is equally effective. There are two kinds of passion — one in which you are passionate about avoiding something you do not want, and one in which you are moving toward something you desire.

When people tell me that they want money, it is usually because they want to move away from or avoid debt or financial hardship. Their passion is based on a fear of lack.

And while fear can temporarily motivate you, it is also a harsh taskmaster that ultimately robs you of the ability to enjoy the very things you have worked for.

For lasting motivation, you need something more enduring. You need a positive source of passion.

To uncover your true passion, ask yourself these open-ended questions: What is the legacy you want to leave behind in this world? How can you touch people’s lives in a powerful way in tandem with doing something you love? What brings true joy and meaning to your life?

By answering these questions you may uncover multiple sources of passion in your life. For example, you may feel passionate about technology, the environment, family, reading or scrapbooking. You may also notice that your true passion can be expressed wherever you are — it does not matter if you live in a city or a rural area, if you are married or single, or whether or not you have lots of money.

Positive passion is the fuel that drives all effective action, as long as you participate. So no matter what your station is in life, commit to the process of letting your passion bloom wherever you are.

Once you decide to let true passion guide you, it will give you the strength to keep going. The next step is to learn how to apply it to create a meaningful life.

Put passion to work for you today. Not only can true passion change your life, but it can also touch the lives of others.

Ada Porat is an energy kinesiologist and life coach who helps people live their best possible lives. 602-283-4628 or www.AdaPorat.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 31, Number 5, October/November 2012.