Follow this instead…

While out on a run last week, I was listening to author, Elizabeth Gilbert, talking on Oprah’s Super Soul Conversation Podcast, and something she said stopped me in my tracks and I had to rewind. She said, “Don’t follow your passion.” Wait, what?!?! Excuse me??? You see, she had been a big proponent of the “follow your passion” movement, having written a book about doing exactly that and then spoke all over the world to everyone and anyone about how they should follow their passion.

The thing about passion can be tricky, and I know it personally, because for many years, I didn’t know what my “passion” was. I only knew that what I was doing, was not it. So, when someone is pummeling you with the phrase to just “follow your passion” and you don’t know what your passion is, then guess what happens? You feel even worse, because then you begin to think that there is something wrong with you, or maybe you’re broken because “why the hell haven’t I figured it out by now”, and you go down the rabbit hole of berating yourself for failing at figuring it out.

Here’s the thing, not everyone has only one passion, and not knowing what your passion is or having multiple passions, doesn’t make you wrong, bad, or a failure. So what Liz said next rocked me to my core, and made me practically jump up and down in the street. Instead of following your passion (that you may or may not have figured out yet), follow your curiosity. Can I get a “HELL YES!!!!” When you follow your curiosity, it just may lead you to your passion.

It is about being willing to turn your head ever so slightly to open yourself up to curiosity. You don’t have to quit your job, sell all your belongings, join the circus, or sit in silence for days on end to find your passion. Stop looking for it, because it’s not even lost. Simply get curious — about your feelings, actions, moods, ALL of it. When you follow your curiosity, you allow room for the magic, and find answers you didn’t realize you were seeking. Curiosity enables you to get clear on what you do and don’t want, and when you do more of what you do want, you may just find you’re actually living your passion.

So, today, and everyday, follow your curiosity and leave room for the magic.

be well. love mel.