Finding the Joy

These are some excerpts from an article that I would like to share with you. I hope that find it worthwhile reading. Lately, I have been doing a lot of trying to find the joy in my life.

The Joy Factor
Mary L. Duwe, CPF, Master Coach

Everyone longs for a life filled with passion. The human heart was created to be passionate. However, personal and business stresses, disappointments and challenges can often act like cold water thrown on a campfire. Damaged relationships and other life challenges can take their toll and cause the fire of passion to simply burn out. You begin to feel less alive and hunger for the warmth of an inner burning fire.

There are three important steps you need to take in order to find meaning and passion in an industry filled with emotional disease, dismay and disappointing outcomes. It is possible to shift from running on empty to being filled with passion by simply incorporating the “joy factor” into your practice:

Step One: Find the joy. It is critical to discover what brings you true joy. It is all too often we find ourselves doing things we feel we have to do or should do instead of things we want to do. Start to pay closer attention to what gets your attention and ignites a spark inside you. This spark is an important clue in designing your life around what brings you the greatest amount of joy. However, finding what brings you joy will only be a booby prize if you do nothing with your new-found knowledge.

Step Two: Follow the joy. Knowing what brings you joy is critical. Step two is giving yourself permission to follow that joy and develop a life that is full of meaning, purpose and passion. There are several things I noticed that advisors often allow to get in the way of developing a passion-filled life: Often advisors will put themselves last on their list of priorities. As a result, everyone else’s needs get fulfilled before their own. We tend to give too much without getting refueled and as a result, can burn out. Running on empty is the fastest way I know to put out the fire of passion. Never give away more than you have to give and always end the day with something left in your tank.

Step Three: Foster the joy. Now that you have given yourself permission to follow the joy you’ve identified, it is equally important to develop your business and your life around those good feelings. Protect your right to have a life that is passion filled. Expand and create circumstances and opportunities that light the fire within you. You can do things that will drain your energy or you can choose to do things that give you energy. It is your choice. Eliminate anything that drains you and do more of what fuels your passion. The more alive you feel the more effective and powerful you will be.