“Your passion is your internal compass that will guide you from where you are towards where you want to go.” ~ Julie Connor
It’s easy to dismiss passion as something frivolous and impractical. But your inner compass knows better.
The quote above reminds me of a woman, in her 70s, who came to a seminar experiencing a fair amount of chronic pain and illness. Like many people, she thought that by the time you reach a certain age, that’s just how it is and we should expect and accept pain and illness.
She also had the idea that she had “been there, done that” in her life and there was nothing more she wanted to do. She just wanted to get over her pain.
The seminar exercises helped her uncover and remember things that made her happy. When she started sharing them, the shift in her energy was dramatic. She lit up. She smiled and giggled. She went from looking old, tired, and cranky to looking playful, soft, and approachable.
She dropped at least twenty years in looks. Her pain went away. Her playful, sparkly energy quickly had everyone in the room smiling and giggling with her.
She stayed that way until her head jumped in and overruled her inner compass. She returned to her belief that there was nothing new to be happy about in her life. As far as she was concerned, life was boring.
The pain in her body came back. She aged before our eyes. The light in her eyes dimmed as she let go of her vision about what she loves and succumbed to resignation once again. The energy in the room became somber.
It was fascinating to watch all that happen within the space of an hour.
The same thing happened when she attended a second session. There appeared to be a battle going on between what her head believed and what her heart knew to be true.
Sadly, her head eventually won out and she stopped coming to the sessions without ever grabbing onto the things that gave her joy.
What lessons can be taken from this?
- You are never too old to get in touch with what your heart wants
- The older you are, the more “reasons” you likely have for why doing what you love won’t work
- Uncovering your dream or vision is simple, but keeping it alive requires effort
- Your health and well being may depend on your level of joy
- You have more choice in the matter of your life than you think you do
If you are looking to design your Sexy Second Act life or career and your heart says one thing but your head says another, pay close attention to your inner compass. Forget about your age or what others might say.
What have you got to lose by giving joy a shot? Even if you can’t see where it will lead you, your inner compass is never going to steer you wrong. And it may actually lead you on gloriously unimagined adventures.
What are your thoughts on this post? Have you made the choice to heed the call of your inner compass? What were the results? Leave a comment.