“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein
Multi-passionate. It’s a gift and a curse at the same time. I know because I’m multi-passionate and most of my life I didn’t understand the benefit of it. As a child, I didn’t have an answer to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I had 10. As I grew and experienced more that answers grew too.
To the outside non-multi-passionate world it can look like non-committal, to a girl who didn’t get being multi-passionate it equated to fleeting happiness. Here’s why. I’d get into something, throw myself into it then I’d feel the pull to focus on another passion, throw myself into to it. You get the gist.
To someone who’s multi-passionate it feels like a constant pull in different directions. The pull to do, be, have and experience many things. This pull is innate its part of who we are. There’s no changing it or denying it and the pressure to change leads to unhappiness.
In society, there’s a spoken and sometimes unspoken (depending on who you’re with) rule that says “commit and stick it out, no matter what”. Great, if you’re a single passion kind of person, but it doesn’t work for us multi-passionate people. The only way around it is finding a way to weave multiple passions into what we do and find space for the rest.
So how do we weave multiple passions into what we do? Here’s how I did it and what I discovered along the way.
- I stopped trying to pick one. I stopped trying to find my “1” special gift I could give the world. I accepted I have various passions and I just need one vehicle to deliver them in.
- I got crystal clear on my strengths. I took the StrengthsFinder® test. I realized that one of my strengths was the starting of things, jumping in. I learn by doing. This helped me understand my passions better. I love the beginning of building businesses. I’m not a procrastinator. Hence, to others it may appear like I’m jumping around but I do the things others only think about. I learn that it’s not for me by doing it.
- I accept that there’s a bigger calling for my life and that my passions were going to serve as the drive, excitement, and motivation to deliver that calling to the world.
- I listed my passions and got clear on my purpose. I made a list of all the things I’m interested in and all the things the world needs. I narrowed down and married the two.
- I thought a lot about what broke my heart and continues to break my heart. I found my greater calling.
- I began living outside the box. Sometimes we can take what we’re good at and put it inside a box. Ex: I’m gifted at empathetically listening to people’s struggles and knowing what they need to hear to open them up to growth and healing.
Because of that, I pursued my Masters in Counseling. But having the degree kept me stuck in a place of, “if I’m not doing this as a career I have failed that part of me”. When in fact, I never needed the degree to fulfill and pursue that gift. It’s only a vehicle to deliver the gift.
Here’s what I came up with.
I’m interested in or passionate about health, fitness, travel, self-care, healing emotional pain, spirituality, intuition, entrepreneurship, writing, counseling, nature.
I think the world needs love, care, support, trust, peace, joy, and faith in one’s self and each other.
What breaks my heart? When unconditional love is withheld.
I looked into my list of passions and I grouped ones that could go together. Ex: writing, entrepreneurship, self-love, counseling, healing, intuition.
Then I noticed the correlation between what the world needs and what continues to break, and with further reflection, I discovered my purpose.
With my foundation of purpose and my blended list of passions, I just needed a vehicle to deliver it to the world.
A business. An outside the box business where I use my passions, fulfill my purpose and fulfill a need and deliver more love to the world.
When you lead with purpose, passion, and love for the world your return is this:
- You’ll stand out because it’s uniquely you.
- You’ll have impactful reach because it draws in people who need exactly who you are.
- It’ll be world changing because you realized your reason for being.
- It’ll feel exciting because it includes more of who you are.
Unique. Unboxed. Multi-passionate. Gifted. You.
How many passions do you love to chase?
