Often times one is told to follow their passions and chase their dreams. However, few are told how to identify their passions, let alone understand what they’re trying to tell you.

Not every single thing you’re good at you’re passionate about. Not everything you’re you have talent in is your calling either.

Yet, living in and with your gifts is not only super high praise to your maker, it’s also the most empowering place to be for yourself and others.

On the blog today, just a quick perspective on this thing called Passion and how it relates to your “Calling”. Read on…

Intro: What Do I do with my gifts/calling/passions

Many times, one is told to find out what they’re passionate about, because then they’ll know what to do with their life and have a happy ever after. Ever have that moment where you just don’t know what is what of what?

Yeah. I know how that goes. I too ask myself the question, what will I do when I grow up. Difference is, I’m now that grown up.

Let’s see if some perspective can come to light and shed some focus for anyone who is left wondering.

Basics

There are things you’re good at because you practiced, got experience, put effort, and now are good at it.

There are things you naturally get good at with much less effort than someone else. And with any level of effort, you’re just sailing with it.

Then there are things you’re so drawn to and feel so ignited by it that you gladly put the work in and eventually you get good at it.

There are other things that you know you should be doing and they may not be easy to get good at… but it feels like if you don’t do them, you missed your station in life.

The difference between gifts, talent, passion, and calling will vary from person to person you speak to. But for the simplicity of this post, they’re not all one and the same and will tug at you differently and move you differently.

How do I know which is which?

That is a whole series in and off itself. One that might get covered here in this blog, but most likely on another that will surely be linked to.

A gift is often something bestowed on you that you just seem to be really good at straight out of the gate. In the religious circles, that’s a talent that shows up and you’re good and quickly excel at with little visible effort once you have it. Outside that definition, a gift often looks like a talent. A thing that you’re genetically good at. Furthermore, your gift(s) resonates and emotionally empowers someone else while a talent doesn’t really do that.

Don’t just rest on your gifts though. If they’re not used, they do seem to fade back to just regular skills.

Passion is the trickiest of them all, in the writer’s humble opinion. Not everything you’re passionate about you’ll get good at. You may or may not have a natural gift for the thing you’re passionate about. You may or may not find application for what you’re passionate about. Yet, it’s something that you can get deeply zoned into when you’re participating in it.

The part many won’t want to admit, you do not need to be passionate about something to get good at it. You don’t need to be passionate about something to not only get good, but eventually become passionate about it. And, passion does not have to be consuming either.

There are many things that people eventually get passionate about and then, in retrospect, assume they were about that all along. No. Passion is a funny thing. And, when done at high levels of excellence, often can look like a gift to others who witness and marvel at the execution of the passion.

Example

The photo practiced a lot to become a photographer. Many feel it’s a passion, it actually is at times. Certain times, it looks like a flat out gift. Mainly because no formal education went into acquiring the skills. In the zone, the emotions of passion radiate visibly around the craft of photos. So, it’s tricky (sure, you’ve not seen the best of the photog yet, but stay tuned… it’s coming). Is it a calling though?

(more on the next page)