I get a lot of clients talking about wanting to know what there passion is so they can follow it.  I've come to the conclusion that there are a couple of false assumptions around living a passion-filled life, or at least following a career you are passionate about.

The first is that your passions are instantly recognisable by the bright shining light surrounding them.  I think people believe their 'passion' will be instantly recognisable and that's just not proving to be true.  Something that you are passionate about is something that you've immersed yourself in.  You've acquired some skills, knowledge or experience about it.  That can't happen unless you move down the path towards it.  From a position of "I don't know what my passion is" you can't scan the room and automatically spot it.  It requires effort, committment and exploration.  Put simply, passion evolves over time.

The second false assumption is that once you identify your passion it will all sort itself out.  This also is not the case. 

Following one's passions requires courage more than anything else. 

Courage is not about the absence of fear, it's about action in the face of fear. 

And I can tell you, many people when faced with the challenges of following their passion simply back down and complain about now knowing what their passion is.  

To pursue your own career, to dance to a different tune and to move away from the well worn path requires courage.  Ask yourself, if there were no barriers to following your passion, do you think it would be easier to actually identify it?