It is not how much you do, but how much love you put
into the doing, that matters. ~ Mother Teresa
ties, bracketing “compensation” which ranked second.
Another analysis by The New York
Times found that in 2009, 11 per- cent more college graduates worked for nonprofits than in the previous year. Accordingly, Coleman’s book is packed with encouraging examples, from a Harvard MBA student and a U.S. Marine that co-founded a non- profit addressing poverty in Kenya’s largest slum to a biomedical engineer- ing grad that launched a web-based car-sharing service.
This altruistic, purpose-driven career track seems a stark departure from that of the baby boomers, collec- tively referred to as the “me” generation for its materialistic ethos. Yet those that specialize in helping people find more meaningful lives say this group cur- rently counts among their best and most focused customers.
“We are at a time in the world when it is more socially acceptable to follow your passions,” says Janet Attwood, whose Passion Test work- shops—established in 2004—are welcoming more people than ever. “In my day, my dad was so freaked out I’d end up homeless that he sent me to business school so I would learn how to type. Back then, parents never asked: ‘What turns you on?’”
That’s a shame, remarks Frederick, because first hints at our purpose often bubble up in our youth. “I believe all of us know at some point what our gift is, but we often bury it and say, ‘I have to fit in and get a job with benefits and a good paycheck.’” There is an alternative.
Work and Consume Less, Live More
Attwood stresses that living in line with one’s passion isn’t just about work, noting, “It’s about your relationships and friends, your spirituality and health, what you consume and where you choose to live…”
She asks clients to write down five
life-defining passions (see sidebar) and use them as a guidepost. “Whenever you are faced with a choice, a decision or an opportunity, choose in favor of your passion,” she counsels. Attwood has observed firsthand how success often follows, because, “When you choose in favor of the things that have the greatest, deepest meaning for you, the universe supports you more than if you are just tepid and neutral about something.”
For some, that has meant working
fewer hours for less pay, in order to al- low more time for clarifying meditation, family dinners, volunteering at a local shelter, taking a long-yearned-for dance class or planning the next career shift. It has also led to willing trade-offs in buy- ing less and doing more for oneself. According to the 2010 MetLife Study of the American Dream, 77 percent of Americans now say that achieving their big dream comprises improving the quality of their lives by strengthening personal relationships. As for millennials, 39 percent say they already have what they need. Also, those that feel growing pressure to buy more and better material possessions has dropped from 66 percent in 2006 to well below half today. “Plenty of people have already started down this path. They’re growing vegetables, raising chickens and keeping bees. They’re building their own homes, often with the help of friends and neigh- bors,” writes Boston University Sociol- ogy Professor Juliet Schor, Ph.D. In her groundbreaking book, Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth, she argues that contrary to many economists’ assumptions, a shorter work week and smaller econ- omy is better for society as a whole. More, such a lifestyle, “allows people to build stronger social connections, maintain their physical and mental health and engage in activities that are more creative and meaningful.”
Any Example Proves the Rule
Ever since childhood days of helping her mother make clothing for the fam- ily, Juliette Bastian has had a passion for fashion design. Her love of dancing dates back to watching American Band- stand. But when it came to choosing a
Passion Test Take the
Make a list of your passions; the 10 or 15 things most critical to your happiness and well-being. Start each entry with, “When my life is ideal, I am … ” (living in a beautiful house in the mountains, working in a job that changes lives, spending plenty of time with my children, etc.)
Don’t worry about how you’ll get there. Just write it down. You become whatever you are commit- ted to. “People often write down a passion, but if they can’t immediately see how they can manifest it, they erase it and instead write something down that they can easily put their arms around. In other words, they play it safe,” says Janet Attwood, co-author of The Passion Test: The Ef- fortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose. Instead, think big.
Narrow the list to your top five passions.
Write all five passions down on five index cards.
Post passions in places you will routinely see them, such as on the bathroom mirror and refrigerator door; display them prominently on your computer.
Create a vision board (a collage of representations of your passions). “It’s an easy way to keep your atten- tion on the things you really want to grow stronger in your life,” notes Attwood.
Use these priority passions as a guidepost. “Whenever you are faced with a choice, a decision or opportu- nity, choose in favor of your pas- sions,” advises Attwood. Then run to the goal with purpose in every step.
Take the test again every six months, because passions can change and evolve over time.
natural awakenings November 2012 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64