7 Tips for Finding Your Passion by Jaimee Ratliff l Inspirational Words l How to Find Your Calling l Advice on Finding Your Passion l Self Help Tips l Self Help Advice l Advice on Living Out Your Dream

"Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now."

Passion finding has been the topic of several conversations with friends recently and is a clear reminder that many of us will reach a point in our lives, if you haven't already, where the desire to leave behind the mundane is too strong to ignore and figuring out what we love to do becomes an unavoidable question with the answer not always showing up in a big transparent way.

We feel this intense urge to just "figure it out." But, when we look around, that passion is nowhere to be found and we aren't where we truly want to be. It frustrates us. It keeps us up at night. It makes us anxious as we notice more and more time is slipping away while we sit around confused. We watch others who have seemingly identified their "thing," their passion, their calling, and we hope one day that will be us.

While I don't feel like I'm remotely qualified to tell others how to live their lives by a long shot, I am the most qualified person to speak on my own life and share the things that I've found helpful in pushing me along my journey to figuring out what I'm most passionate about. With that said, here are seven ways to find your passion:

Do Many Things

I really can't stress the importance of this one enough. Having lots of interests may feel overwhelming, but it's actually a great problem to have despite how much you feel you're "all over the place." When you're on the journey to figuring out what you love most, this is one of the most crucial steps, and it's actually quite simple. Do things. Do a lot of things. It's better to have lots of options and interests than none at all. So, kudos to you for not being boring! Make a list of all the things you're interested in, pick two to focus on first and then get busy. Find some classes to see if these things are something you really want to pursue further. If you realize it's not what you thought it would be, scratch it off of your list and move on. If you end up loving it and find yourself consistently wanting to do more of it, well then you're on to something.

Always Stay True to Yourself

Just because your degree says you have fulfilled the requirements to go out and get a job in a certain industry doesn't mean you'll always love doing that. You're entitled to change your mind whenever you want and you can and should always follow the path where your heart leads. Where does that path lead? I believe it leads to true happiness. We often try to place limits on ourselves after we've invested so much money in school and move into the working world feeling stuck at jobs with horrible bosses, low pay and in cities that just aren't what we expected. The secret to getting unstuck isn't hard at all. Stop doing what you hate and begin taking the steps to doing what you love. You don't have to feel confined to a box and you shouldn't worry about being defined by one thing.

As much as I love traveling, writing and inspiring others through my own journey, I am also passionate about my yoga practice, healthy living and I love sharing my wellness journey with others just as much as my travel plans. I embrace having multiple interests even if I'm not quite sure how I can combine them all into one perfect identity -- and right now, I don't feel the need to.