How many times have you said this exact same thing? You might even take pride in this statement. But have you considered maybe this isn’t exactly the case, nor should it be?
You’re a parent, which means a good part of your time is spent worrying about and taking care of your children. But you’re also more than this. You still have hopes and dreams. You still have passion. Or you should.
Not feeling it? Maybe it’s time to rediscover your passion. You kids can even help you.
Think Back To Your Own Childhood
The first way to rediscover passion starts with looking at what you used to enjoy as a child. Thankfully, since becoming a parent, you’ve probably had a lot of memories from your childhood resurface. After all, it’s natural to compare their experiences with yours. This means you have at your fingertips all sorts of memories to draw from. Make a list of the things you loved most.
Spend Some Time With Your Kids
You’ve revisited your childhood, now let’s return to theirs. You spend a lot of time with your kids. What are your favorite activities with them? Think over all the day to day tasks, the outings, the time spent learning and exploring and playing. Is there anything there you look forward to more than any other? Why?
Where Do You Want to Go Next?
If you could go anywhere at all, where would it be? This doesn’t have to be a child-friendly vision though you can certainly invite the kids along if you go there now in person. In fact, it might be quite fun to introduce them to something you love.
Get Quiet
With all these thoughts rattling around in your head, it’s now time to quiet down and listen. With kids around, this might seem impossible, but you don’t need long, just a few moments to yourself where you can close your eyes and just breathe and experience mindfulness. When you relax, your mind is there anything special popping up in your thoughts?
What Do You Want?
Everyone has wishes, desires, or goals. What do you really want to do? It might be this is something you’ve kept secret even from yourself. If so, maybe it’s time to explore the idea further, asking, “If I could create anything what would it be?”
Every one of these things can point to a passion though sometimes, especially if you’re busy, it might be a little harder to hear the whisper pointing you at what you’re passionate about. Be patient as you listen and don’t give up. Passions are important, not just for your kids, but for you too.
