What If I don’t Have A Passion?

We have heard it a 1000 times. Finding your passion leads to joy and happiness. But what if we can’t find our passion? Is there something wrong with us if we can’t pinpoint the one thing that we’re supposed to be passionate about? Of course not. So let’s explore what makes us different and discover the path that leads to our passions.

The Hummingbird

The world seems to be filled with two types of people.  Elizabeth Gilbert calls them the jackhammers & hummingbirds. The jackhammers are people who are driven vision making people that know their passions and are relentless in living them everyday. On the other hand, you have the hummingbirds and this group doesn’t might not experience that constant drive to get after that one thing. Rather, hummingbirds follow their curiosity by exploring and trying new things without being fixated for very long.  I am a hummingbird and when I see or compare myself to the proverbial jackhammer I am filled with anxiety, worry, imposter syndrome, and all the other nasty emotions. You might feel the same way. You might feel frustrated because you can’t seem to muster the energy to live like a jackhammer and might feel like a buffoon because no matter what you try, you can’t live up to those expectations.

If that’s you hang with me, I’ve got good news to share. 

Lessons From the Hummingbird

Have you ever watched a hummingbird? In the summer I have hummingbird feeders in my yard and I’ll sit and watch them. When active they zip around the trees and feeders and often will zoom right in front of my face just to check me out. They are fascinating to watch. They never stay in one place long and they fly away and come back in lightning precision.  If you consider yourself a hummingbird your life is probably driven by curiosity. You explore, play, and try new ideas all the time. You’re a gatherer of information and are creative. The new things you learn serve you well and inform the moments you’re in. The magic is in these moments because that’s when we feel in the flow, energized, and alive. This is what feels right, this is our value, but how do we contribute to a world of jackhammers? 

Our Contribution

We play an important role in society. As hummingbirds we spread ideas, we connect people, we infuse creativity into the things we touch and we provide a balance. We allow our flow to move us and guide us to the next idea or project and therein lies our passion. It’s not just one thing, it might never will be. We are simply not made to process the world that way and that’s ok. Instead, we live through curiosity. If you’re like me and you live the life of a hummingbird you have to believe that wherever you land from one moment to the next it’s the right time & place. If we continue the flight of the hummingbird one day we’ll pause and realize that our flight lead us exactly where we were suppose to land.