Prathima's Miles & Milestones

For many, being absorbed in their favorite hobby, sport or past-time comes to mind. You might recite the countless hours spent in pursuit of your interest and the feelings associated with it. There is nothing more meaningless than pursuing a life that does not resonate with your deepest self. So discover what makes your heart sing with enthusiasm and spend time absorbed in it. Let your spirit come alive and sense the rapture when you are engrossed in that which brings you joy.

There is enormous pleasure in pursuing your passion. The most successful people I know are not busy. They’re focused. If you fail at first, give it time for the mind and the body. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. Everyone starts somewhere, and every person who is really great at what they do was once someone who didn’t know much and struggled. And you’re allowed that.

You’re allowed to be imperfect and make mistakes and not have all the tools. It takes time to build skills and dedication to be consistent at it. It takes time to learn how to navigate new things and develop your strengths. Struggling at something you’ve never done before is human and normal — and it’s okay. You aren’t a failure if it’s overly difficult. You aren’t pathetic or incompetent or shameful. It won’t be this overwhelming and difficult forever. Learning a new skill is never easy. Do not give up so easily.

Your work or career is not the only area tied to your passion. Many people find sanctuary in their pastimes or hobbies which bear no financial incentive other than offering enjoyment and self-fulfillment. Be your own number one fan.

The state of flow one achieves when aligned with their passion is that one is in trance. Time stands still and you’re overcome with pleasure when absorbed in your pursuit. Such activities offer mental, emotional and physical benefits as well.

In recent times, we’ve seen popular culture espouse turning your passion into profits as a practical success model. However, this may not appeal to all people. Balancing an IT job and a side hustle to get the best of both the worlds is not an easy thing.

Working early hours and late nights will not distract you from your job. Your great superpower is your work ethic. Planning smart will save you. You can work as hard and as long as you want. Also, great news: with a good night’s sleep, you can keep this up for years! Putting in the work will elevate you above everyone else.

“Being able to identify and visualize your ideal self unleashes the passion you need to make that version of yourself a reality. You need to see it, dig for it and feel it to have a chance of living it.” — Charlie Harary

“If you keep living like the way you are now, you will continue to produce the same life you already have.” — Jim Rohn

So how can you transform your passions so they serve your highest potential?

The following points are ways to embody your passion to correspond with your highest intent.

1. Become what you love

Embody what you love by becoming an extension of your passion. People who live what they love can’t wait to get up in the morning to spend another day immersed in their pursuit. I wake up in the middle of the night just to check the time if am not late for the class even thought my alarm is set. Sleep is an unproductive exercise until the body or mind is really tired in my personal opinion.

2. Find Purpose And Passion In Other Areas

Those who achieve this crossover will remind you it often comes at a price: long hours, stress, health risks, family problems, etc. This should not dissuade you from pursuing this path, instead, realize what is involved. Passion needn’t be tied to generating an income and this is where many people fall short.

3. Syncing your mind and Body

Your passion can be deeply rewarding from a health perspective, so find more time to engage in whatever brings you inner peace, harmony, and balance. If you rush about your day trying to get everything done, you create unwanted stress in your life. Slowing to the speed of life means to go with the flow and not resist the current of life because everything unfolds on its own timeline.

4. Overcome your fears

Fear is a draining emotion which discolors your perception of life. It shapes your inner landscape and influences your reality. Therefore, let go of your fears by transforming them into inner peace, faith, and trust.

As you let go of fear, you will fall in love with life. You cannot appreciate life when your mind and body are gripped by fear which is a lower state of consciousness.

5. Being optimistic

Even though we fail miserably at times, do not give up. It might we embarrassed, but we are far better than a lot of people who dream to pursue it. Results are secondary. Eg: As a contemporary dancer, floorwork was always very demanding. One of my teachers told me — Love the floor and the floor will love you back. Trust me, these words changed my thoughts.

6. Interact with people who bring the best out of you

Engage in loving relationships and let go of toxic ones. Remember, we coach others how to treat us. If you are not receiving the respect you deserve, on an unconscious level, you may be attracting this relationship to experience personal growth. As you heal your wounds, life acknowledges your openness to live a life vested in love.

All the successful people you emulate are the ones that didn’t give up. They’re the ones that kept fighting, the ones that didn’t have a Plan B. So don’t be the one that quits. Be the one that dared to keep going. Be the person that made their dreams happen.

P.S. Don’t let the expectations and opinions of other people affect your decisions. It’s your life, not theirs. Do what matters most to you; do what makes you feel alive and happy. Don’t let the expectations and ideas of others limit who you are. If you let others tell you who you are, you are living their reality — not yours. There is more to life than pleasing people. There is much more to life than following others’ prescribed path. There is so much more to life than what you experience right now. You need to decide who you are for yourself. Become a whole being. Adventure.