How do you find what lights you up?
I am pondering this question posed by member of a mentorship FB group I am in.
It’s a biggie and one that I have spent far too long asking myself before finally getting really honest and giving myself the permission to follow it.
The question was posed by a woman who is already a successful entrepreneur, and knows what she wants from life, she has pursued many passions but is still left feeling that none of them seem to fit. She doesn’t know what she wants to do for her work except to ‘do more to inspire’…..
….. She knows.
I mean, SHE.KNOWS.
It’s just that she hasn’t allowed herself to access it yet (see there’s that permission thing again).
She hasn’t listened in for a while. Perhaps ever.
She is skirting around the edges unconsciously not wanting to admit what she knows.
Why?
A plethora of reasons. Maybe she is holding on to the belief that she does not know what lights her up, or maybe it’s fear of failure; judgement, comparison, change, not being ready enough/good enough/clever enough/qualified enough or that being able to do what lights you up is just not available to her. It may even seem impossible.
She’s is wondering whether she needs to slow down her business and spend more time in self reflection to find it.
Self reflection is important as long as you are FEELING your way through and NOT THINKING. I know this is confusing because you use your thoughts to imagine and play with ideas but it’s the FEELING INTO THEM that will tell you if they light you up and make your heart sing.
Perhaps she does need some time in self-reflection. Perhaps she needs tools, support, teachers or mentors to help her LISTEN to her heart and then ACT on it.
But SHE.KNOWS.
To know you know you need to EXPLORE: Listen. Find. Follow. Repeat.
Listen in. Find one thing that calls you; anything big or small, related or unrelated to work or whatever area of your life you are focussing on. Follow it, purely for the joy of it! Listen in again. Find another thing that lights you up. Follow it. And do on…
Following what lights you up is NOT an illuminated path.
You create it randomly as you go; hopping from one dot of joy to another. You don’t need to know the relevance of each dot. YOU DO NEED TO TRUST that all will be revealed if you KEEP ON following your joy.
That’s the stumbling block isn’t it: trust?
We want to know FOR SURE the end destination; that it is guaranteed and the pathway is clear so that following your joy isn’t a big fat waste of time and “I told you so’s”.
But how could it ever be a waste of time?
What is life all about if not for experiencing joy as much as possible?
I don’t mean unrealistic pure joy 24/7; a life without challenges or difficulties.
I mean to live each day with a sense of purpose bigger than yourself that feels good, doing things that you LOVE ENOUGH to WANT TO FACE THE CHALLENGES.
What if the unknown path of joy is full of MORE beauty and wonder and success than we could ever have dreamed of in advance?
Wouldn’t it be worth the RISK?
Know that you do know what lights you up and get exploring. It could be the best adventure of your life.
In fact, it IS the adventure of life!
Go find it.
Kx
P.S. If you would like support to find your light the doors to my PerMISSION YOU programme will be opening soon. Please message me for more information. If you already know what lights you up but need o release all the stuff that is getting in your way then join The Dark Side Revolution (FB group for women only) for support and guidance. I look forward to welcoming you on the other (dark) side. x