The 9 Biggest Myths about Finding and Following your Passion - Christine Kane

In our last episode, we learned all about how to find your passion. We learned about how you have to clear away any crap in your life for which you are settling and then mine your life for delights and present-moment happiness.

Now that we’ve done all that, let’s uncover the myths that come with this idea of finding your passion, following your bliss, and living your dreams.

[Confession:  Do not think for a minute that this stuff is divinely channeled. I’ve clung at various times to each one of these myths until I finally woke the heck up and realized that following my passion was much different (and consequently much more rewarding) than I thought it would be.]

Myth #1 – “And then she lived happily ever after.”

Finding and following your passion is a process from the minute you set the intention.  It’s not an event. There’s no arrival. Put on your seat belt. Enjoy the ride.

Myth #2 – That you will never doubt yourself.

I’ll let Seth Godin address this one. He says it way better than I ever could.

Myth #3 – That THIS passion will always remain THE passion.

Once you set your course for “passion,” your soul will make damn sure you’re not the settling kind. This might mean that how you define your passion will change over time.  You can try to hold on and fight the new levels of discomfort that will inevitably arise from said changes, but your soul will always win.

Myth #4 – “Now that I’m here, I’d like it all to just plateau please.”

I can’t tell you how many people say this to me in one way or another after they’ve reached a certain level in their work.  It’s like bargaining with biology that your life gets to be different from every other organism on the planet.  As if growth ceases once you decide you’re done with the discomfort of expansion.  Um, guess what?

Myth #5 – “I’ll try this passion thing for a year and see how I do.”

When I first got started in music, this was the advice I got from an older friend in my life: “You can try it for a year, and if you don’t make it – then you can just go back and get a job.”  This makes me laugh now.  Passion is not about dipping your toe in, and the universe knows it. (You know it too!)

Myth #6 -  “I have decided to follow my passion, therefore the heavens should reward me accordingly.”

There’s a word for this. What is it again?  Oh yea.

Entitlement.

Myth #7 – That everyone will be on board.

You can always try forwarding the previous post to your friends and family with the message “See?!”

But chances are, not everyone in your life will be thrilled when you start turning things upside down. (Mostly because you will be pushing the edges of their world-view and people never like that very much.)

Myth #8 – That you will magically leave your current self behind.

Finding and living your passion doesn’t mean that some other cooler hipper version of you will magically emerge. In fact, you will run into you at every turn.

Myth #9 – That passion is big and explosive.

In my experience, passion speaks quietly.

It’s the moment your client has a breakthrough and your heart nearly explodes in excitement for her. It’s when the perfect lyric comes flying through when you’re driving home from the store. It’s when time melts away and you are present and happy.  Those are the best moments.

Passion is about new levels of depth in your relationship with yourself and the things around you.  The external rewards can be awesome, but nothing measures up to the quiet sparks of knowing you are living the life you were meant to live.

20 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Penny

    Enjoyed this post !! I am following my passion. It took lots of courage !! I am following my dream to write my stories about life’s topics in creative ways, even attempting my first blog. This is a huge step for me, and I am enjoying every minute of it. It is definitely not just dipping my toe into it, its emerging my whole self into it !!

  • franchiseguy01

    at myth # 7 as we are trying to furnish our future life to be a fairy tale story like situation, we should always think to our selves and remember that not all of those people around you will be there to guide and agree on what you will do..so even that time comes we should decide the right thing to do before we fast forward to the plan.

  • Farnoosh

    I come here to read raw, refreshing, rejuvenating and NEW perspective and every time, Christine, you deliver and delight me. A real look at how passion works its way into our life and thugs at our hearts but doesn’t turn things into a magical delight. I love every word and there is so much truth to every word…..thank you Christine!!

  • pamela

    Hi Christine
    just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying your approach and that I mentioned you on my post about change tonight. Hope maybe you’ll get to visit if you get the chance!
    love pamela x

  • Amy Palko

    “There’s no arrival. Put on your seat belt. Enjoy the ride.” This really resonated. So many times I’ve worked towards a destination and not enjoyed the ride, and every time it leaves me feeling hollow. The last time it happened, it happened in a big way and I resolved at that point that a passion for the journey was really the only way to go. So much happier now!
    Amy
    xx

  • patijo

    Hi Christine,

    #8 hit me, too. When I went back and read your link, this came to mind:

    I wish you could see the you I see when I see you.

    I know “the vision” has to come from within, but, when I’ve seen you on stage (via YouTube), I wish you could see the you I see when I see you — and when I listen to your music. (I’ll send this thought to Laura, too, as I’ve followed her work.)

    Thanks for inspiring again! patijo

  • Michele Woodward

    Christine, it seems to me that every single year I just become a more distilled version of myself, like a fine wine or a good scotch. I’m still “me” despite the learning, the growth, the mishaps and missteps. I’m still little old me. And that’s a really good thing.

    Every day, I’m just a better and better me. Which is why I love your #8.

    If your travels bring you to Northern Virginia this holiday season, holler. 🙂

    — Michele

    • Christine Kane

      LOVE that, Michele! (wine, liquor, spiritual growth – it all works!)

      And indeed, I’ll shout out at you if I head up to DC! That’d be fun!

  • Anna

    Ah…#8. I think I’ve finally figured out that I’m hip enough and cool enough as is…so instead of running in another direction when I run into myself….I’m just glad to see me! Great post…so glad the cat finally came home :).

    • Christine Kane

      Thanks Anna! I happen to agree that you are hip and cool enough too! 🙂

      • Joy

        Totally! Anna, you’re a role model for me girlfriend.

  • Laura

    OMG #8!!! Christine 2 days ago I was re-reading my coaching notes from our conversations during the winter of 2009. Would you believe, I am still me, my current self, and dealing with the same paradigms, albeit in different circumstances. I am much stronger now, but my challenges seem to be bigger as well. Thanks for reminding us that it’s all about the journey, not the destination. hugs from Charleston. Laura

    • Christine Kane

      first off – I love that you take the time to review, Laura. That’s amazing. Yay you.

      second off – yes indeed, we keep on carrying the same things until we’re finally ready to just set them down!

  • Ursula

    Wonderful post, Christine! When I read #1, it made me think of a Debra Silverman FB post today – she recommends taking the seat belt OFF, letting go! A whole other level of happily ever after!

    • Christine Kane

      Thanks Ursula! It’s a conspiracy of metaphors! Run for your life!

  • Jean at The Delightful Repast

    Great post, Christine! Myth #4 – “Now that I’m here, I’d like it all to just plateau please” reminds me of how all my life I wanted to be 30. Always thought that was the perfect age. But then it came and went! Soon I discovered 40 had a lot of advantages over 30. Hmmm … the lesson … maybe we should just make the most of every stage of life, every year, every moment.

    • Christine Kane

      Exactly Jean! Live completely fully alive and take lots of chances at every age!

  • Christine Kane

    Hey Biz – (my blog’s calendar probably didn’t get turned back an hour – so this appeared late on Tuesday!)

    And GAWD – do I understand that little voice that says “REALLY? ME? Can’t I just hang out on the couch??!” But hey – you’re doing it, friend. Once you’ve started, there’s no turning back! 🙂

  • Biz

    OMG, I had to look at my calendar, I thought it was WEDNESDAY! ::giggle::

    Ok, #9 is ME ME ME!!! “Passion is about new levels of depth in your relationship with yourself and the things around you.”

    This is what I was trying to tell you the other day – there is this quiet little thing that is happening inside of me since the retreat, sort of in my grasp but I haven’t gotten a firm hold of it yet. I finally settled on the word “Enlightened” – however, instead of feeling like I deserve it (#6), my myth is “WHY ME???” – What have “I” been picked to be granted this understanding?

    I am figuring it out C, really I am.

    EXCELLENT ARTICLE!!!