Using Your Passions and Dreams To Create A Midlife That Turns You On

RECONNECTING WITH OUR PASSIONS AND DREAMS. REMEMBER THOSE?

How do we turn our passions (what lights us up), into our dreams, (what we desire), into our midlife reality?

Passions are the things you would spend all day doing if you could. Things that make your heart soar. Things that you are, well, passionate about. Things that turn you ON! :)

Turning a passion into a dream makes it something tangible. Something we can bring into our life.

A few of my crazy dreams are/have been: own a women's surf shop, become a public speaker, use my skills and education to help women, write a book, start a business, live on a farm, have an animal rescue, own 5 acres, host epic retreats for women, have a pool, spend a few months out of the year traveling.

Some of these dreams have fizzled out and some are blazing brighter than ever.

But they all started with my passions at the core: connecting with others, animals, adventure, surfing, writing, getting out of my box, water, making a difference, and freedom to be who I am.

The woman I have been has led me to the woman I am today. And it all started with following my passions.

Years ago I never would have believed you had you said I would run a small business, be a future hobby farm owner, and have become an overall badass when it comes to empowering midlife women.

Well, here I am. And I couldn’t be more excited about the journey I am on. I am nowhere near the end and the exciting/scary part is I really have no idea where it will lead. But, I am strapped in tight and ready for the ride.

Here are the simple steps I took to bring me to this place. If you have been neglecting your passions, curious how to reignite your dreams and turn them into your reality, I encourage you to give some of these a try.

PLAY

Many women get to midlife not remembering what their passions are. If this is you, get out there and play . . . yes play. Spend time discovering what you love to do. The things that make you lose track of time. The things that make your heart sing. The things that excite or even scare you a little. 

These are your passions.  These will be the foundation of the structure we are building. Everything comes back to this. If you aren’t in love with what you’re doing . . . if you aren’t having fun . . . if you are not passionate about it . . . these are not your passions. Duh! ;) Don’t waste another second on it.

Think about when you fall in love. You think about that person constantly. Want to be with them all the time. The clock is irrelevant when you are together. You feel passionate. You never knew you could feel this way. This is how you should feel about your passions.

LET GO OF WHAT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD

Let go of things that don’t fit. Sometimes I feel like I want to take my passions in a hundred different directions. Narrowing them down is a process. When I try something, let’s say being crafty for example, and it just doesn't feel authentic - I let it go. (Cue the Frozen theme song). If it just isn't me, I don't force it. 

We don’t want to waste our time doing things we think we should do. We want to spend our time doing things we authentically (and unapologetically) want to do.

It’s like when our kids are young, and we try to involve them in different activities so they can see what they like. It’s the same for adults. Try lots of things and then let go of what doesn’t absolutely light you up.

GIVE YOUR PASSIONS AND DREAMS ENERGY

Once you narrow down your passions, put energy into them. Think about them. Talk to yourself about them. Write about them. Decide how you can add them into your life. This will help clarify a direction for you. It will guide you in working out some of the details in how to turn your passions into a tangible dream.

GIVE YOURSELF A PERMISSION SLIP

Give yourself permission to nurture your passion(s). Allow yourself to spend time doing them. This is hard, especially for women. We weren’t conditioned to do things for fun, just for ourselves. We tend to feel guilty spending time doing fun things versus “productive” things. This will take discipline on your part. Tell yourself you deserve to nurture your passions (because you do.)  And tell your family this too! :) It doesn’t have to be for hours on end (although it absofuckinglutely can be). Start to make your passions a priority.

GET STILL

Meditate or pray on it. I am not diligent about my mediation but it always brings me clarity. I highly encourage this. It is only when we turn off the noise of the outside world and listen to ourselves (our intuition) that we can clearly hear what our heart has to say. I take 15 minutes in the morning, put on a CD with crashing waves or instrumental music, and just empty my mind. I ask a question or say a word repeatedly. Whenever my mind tries to interrupt me and take me back to the worries of the day, I revert back to this word or question. I always come out with some sort of answer and I write it down. This clears the cobwebs for me. It helps me focus on what is true and points my passions in a tangible direction.

CREATE A VISION FOR YOUR FUTURE

I do at least one vision board a year and they take various forms. I get clear on what I want and then put images, mementos, notes to myself, goals, stickers, and inspiring quotes representing these wants on a posterboard, canvas, or journal. I put it somewhere I will see it frequently. Whenever I do this, I’m stay focused on what I want and tell my brain what’s important. (I am an excellent vision board teacher so if you need help with this, let me know.)

CREATE A SACRED SPACE

Create a space, just for you that feels good. A nurturing space for you to dream, pray, meditate, write. However you best can get in touch with your intuition. She knows all about your passions and dreams. Even if it is a little corner of your living room, create a place for yourself. This helps you give importance to your dreams so you can bring them to life.

TALK ABOUT YOUR DREAMS

Start sharing your dreams with others. And keep sharing. Keep putting them out into the universe. It's amazing what happens when you actually start giving your dreams a voice and saying them out loud. The universe will respond. It will put people and events into your life to help your passions and dreams become your reality. Disclaimer: see below.

FIND ENCOURAGEMENT

While sharing your dreams with others, you will discover real quick who you can and can't talk to about your dreams. There will always be people who will try to discourage you. Stop talking to them, STAT.  Find the people who will encourage you. Luckily, you will always find these people, too. Surround yourself with them. Let them know how much their encouragement means. It is huge. Some days, this will be the only thing that keeps you going.

GET BRAVE AND TAKE A STEP

Passions and dreams will never become reality if you don't take action.

Get your Big Girl panties on and take one step that will start you on your way. Figure out the first step and take it.

Even wrong steps get you one step closer to your dreams!

With Love and Courage,

Karen

If you would like to be part of a supportive community of midlife women looking to follow their passions and dreams, join us in my free facebook group!