How do I start living my passion?

Submitted by: Fran K.

Answered by: Lisa Garber, M.Ed. CPCC

Hi Fran,

There is a very famous saying from the Chinese Philosopher Lao Tsu. He writes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” But what is that first step? I write in Becoming a Mother on Fire: A Guide to Being a Mom Without Losing Yourself that the first step to becoming a Mother on Fire and living your passion is a decision. It’s a conscious, thoughtful and powerful decision to just do it.

I know that sounds simplistic, but getting to that decision can be complicated. Often, it takes a lot of thought, soul searching and courage. Change follows a model. Contemplation is one of the steps in that model. You know you want something else, you know you want things to be different, and you want to change but you are not sure. When you think about it enough, and perhaps get a little fed-up with just thinking about it, you are ready to take the first action step. You are ready to make a decision.

This powerful commitment will get you through a lot of the bumps on the journey. When I was contemplating leaving the music business and going to university in my 30’s, I made a decision that I would do whatever it took to be successful and get my degree. I recommitted to my decision many times in the seven years I spent pursing my passion.

The energy and strength I got from that decision drove me at times when it would have been really easy to give up. For example, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease during that time and his disease progressed sadly over those years. There were times when I wanted to give all my time and attention to him, even though he was very well cared for by his wife and my brother and sister in law. My decision helped me to stay the course and still do what I could to be with my family. It wasn’t an either/or issue. And my powerful decision to pursue my passion showed me that.

You can learn more about how to pursue your passion in my book. You can purchase it at amazon.com on Mother’s day.

Thanks for the question.