Tag Archives: passion

Ways to Find Your Passion and Turn It into a Career

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Sometime ago I was speaking with a friend. My friend was not happy with her current career; she was at a crossroads considering going in a different direction career wise.  However, I could tell she had some reservations. I asked her, this new direction you are considering, is it your passion?

She replied with a chuckle my passion? Who goes to a job and is passionate about their job? It’s a job to make a living. I replied some people are fortunate enough to have a passion and use that passion to make a living for themselves.

Then she asked, are you passionate about what you do?  My answer was, I am passionate about helping people and in my line of work I am in the position to help people; so yes, I am passionate about what I do.

Later, I though more about our conversation. I thought deeper about the question my friend asked; am I passionate about what I do? The truth is I enjoy what I do. I feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. But passionate is a strong word. In my opinion, something a person is passionate about, they would do for free. Would I do my job for free? The honest answer is no.

I had to give some more thought about what I am passionate about. I knew deep down what my passion was however I was not practicing it anymore. After some soul searching I could reconnect with my passion. Here are some steps I took to reconnect with my passion. If you are honest with yourself, you too can rekindle that love affair with your passion.

What do you Love to do?

I must admit in between work, family, social life etc. life can get hectic! I forgot what I was passionate about because I did not have the time to remember! Think about what you love to do. This can be a hobby, something you would like to devote time to if you had more time. Think back to what you did in your spare time as a teenager or young adult before life took over.

In my case, as a teenager, I often wrote. I journaled, wrote poetry and short stories. I initially started journaling to vent, as I felt I had no voice as a teenager. Later the journaling became a powerful tool to self-awareness. Later, when introduced to poetry, poetry became enjoyable to write.

What do you find yourself thinking about?

If we take a moment to contemplate our thoughts, it will reveal our desires, passions and purpose. What did you daydream about as a kid? What brings you enjoyment? Why is it enjoyable?  How did you believe your life would turn out? How is it different? How does this make you feel? These are questions to ask yourself to reconnect to your desires. Journal your thoughts, even if you are not a “writer” journal about whatever comes to mind. This process will help expose to you what your purpose is.

Would you do if for Free?

After taking a voyage down memory lane, asking yourself honest questions and meditating on your thoughts, you should have some idea what your passion is. If you have not done your passion in some time, do it now to see if you still have the same fire for it. Now the million-dollar question is do you love your passion so much, that you would do it for free?

If you answer is yes, then congratulations! you have found your passion!

 

Is your Passion Something You Can Earn A Living Doing?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake up and do something that you love and get paid well to do it? Now that you have found your passion see if you can monetize by doing what you love. Research, create a plan, and follow through.

There are many people fortunate enough to do what they love. I believe, if you are passionate about something, you can turn your passion into a career. I would love to hear from you. Have you discovered your passion? Have you been able to support yourself financially by doing what you love?

 

Written By: Rochella Neely
“An Open Book”

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4 Soft Skills That Can Send Your Career To the Next Level

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Many years ago, while in college, I overheard a soon to be graduate speaking with another student. The student was asking her what were the most valuable skills she learned while in college. She responded honestly, I learned how to communicate with all types of people. Communication would be my biggest take from school. I feel I have the ability to communicate with anyone from any walk of life and this has been due to my college experience.

Over the years, I have learned many skills some were technical skills necessary to perform a role or position. Others, were skills I learned by working in the workforce. Some of the most valuable skills that transcend from industry to industry are what we call soft skills. Soft skills, or as I like to refer to them professional skills, are skills an individual acquire either naturally or are specifically developed.

Here are four highly sought after soft skills that can help elevate your career. In the story I shared above, my fellow college student learned what I think is one of the most valuable soft skills and that is communication.

Communication

Communication is important in every industry. Communication involves not only expressing your ideas but also listening to others. Understanding what is the big picture, is just as important as articulating the vision to others.

Mastering the skill of communication is highly recommended to elevate your career. Just think, when you first meet an individual your first impression is developed on how the person looks and how they present themselves. Great communicators are essential in any work environment and usually are looked upon favorably.

The art of communicating what  you want, need, and how to obtain the goal is necessary in any work environment. Good communication involves listening, paraphrasing back to the person what you understand them to be saying, then clearly respond what you want to convey. Following up to ensure your message was received correctly is essential.

Positive Attitude

Steve Harvey said it best “Your attitude will determine your altitude.” A positive attitude is something a person has worked to develop. I truly believe your attitude will determine your success in anything you seek out to do. This soft skill is one that many individuals miss.

Is your attitude a skill? Yes! Yes! It is! I say this because in life whether it is career or personal, there will be challenges. How you view and handle these obstacles will determine your outcome. When things do not go as we plan or would like, it’s human nature to feel sad, angry, or down. But how do we view this obstacle? I had to shift my thinking to ok this is not working as I thought it would what direction is this obstacle shifting me to? This challenge is presented to me to prepare me for a success.

To not allow your emotions to take over when there are challenges is a skill that must be developed. Maintaining a positive attitude is indeed a skill. A skill that employers desire because in any organization there will be challenges. Which leads me to my next soft skill critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

Have you ever heard the phrase “there is more than one way to skin a cat?” Critical thinking is an important skill in problem solving and conflict resolution.  Problems in the workplace will arise weather it be an unforeseen occurrence that will interfere with meeting a deadline, or issues in day to day operations that arise. Critical thinking is paramount in handling challenges when they present themselves.

Leadership

If you are in a leadership role or not, having a leadership spirit is a desirable skill. The ability to inspire and motivate the people around you is a skill worth developing to get the best results. Lead by example, be a role model, while remaining humble will gain you followers even if you don’t directly manage others. Your influence  and  ability to establish teamwork will payoff.

Developing these four crucial professional skills, will give you the opportunity to develop your career to the next level. Please share with me some of your soft skills that has helped you in your career. I would love to hear them!

Written by:

Rochella Neely
“An open book”

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