Passion is the fuel that can power you toward the realization of your dreams. To live a truly satisfying and purposeful life you need to know what your passions are so you can fill your day with them. Have you found your passions in life or are you still searching? Many people struggle to connect with their deepest core passions.

It has become increasingly common for people to feel  like they can’t really identifytheir passions or that they don’t know how to incorporate their passions into their daily life. It is also possible that you might already be living a life of passion without even recognizing it.

Could that be true for you?

If you want to discover your passions, the following questions will get you started. Why not write each question on its own sheet of paper so you have plenty of room for brainstorming.

Many people wonder, “How do I know what my passions are?” Use the seven questions below to put your passion to the test.

1) Does it make you feel good about yourself? There are certain activities that just make us feel good about ourselves – there’s a reason for that. Something about that activity resonates with one of our core passions. Exploring the precise feelings attached to these pursuits can help us identify those core passions. Once we discover what those passions are we can explore other activities that produce the same sense of satisfaction.

2) Would you do it for free? In a world that revolves around the almighty dollar it can be easy to ignore pursuits that don’t produce a monetary return. In an effort to identify our core passions we need to remove “earning potential” from the formula. There are many meaningful things in life that transcend financial consideration. We have all heard the saying “the best things in life are free.” Moreoften than not, our passions live in the free zone. In fact, they are more likely to be attached to giving rather than receiving.

3) Do you lose all track of time when you do it? Have you ever said: “When I’m doing that I lose all track of time”? That feeling is usually a pretty strong indicator that you are passionate about whatever it was you were doing. We tend to be very time conscious when we would rather be doing something else. If you keep looking at your watch you are probably anxious to move on to some other activity. But when you completely forget about time it’s often because you are passionately engrossed in your current endeavor.

4) Do you talk about it to anyone who will listen? “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). Isn’t that true? Don’t we all tend to talk about the things we are passionate about (complainers excluded)? Sometimes we are not aware of how often we bring up certain subjects, but the people we talk to are. Why not ask those closest to you if there is a particular subject that you bring up a lot. You may be very surprised at what you discover.

5) Are you delighted to teach it to others? Do friends and family come to you when they want to learn some specific thing, something that you are good at? When that happens, do you take pleasure in sharing your knowledge with them? If so, then you probably have a genuine passion in that topic. Why not explore this a little further and see how it makes you feel?

6) Would you like to spend more of your time doing it? When you have a free day coming up that doesn’t involve catching up on necessary things, what do you like to do with that time? Even if your life is really busy and you need to do other things, what do you wish you could be doing? If you look forward to those rare opportunities then that activity is obviously anchored in some degree of passion.

7) Does it make you want to get out of bed in the morning? Is there something that you like to do so much that you can’t wait to get out of bed on the days you’ve set aside for that activity? Do you think about it the night before with eager anticipation? Do you wake up in the middle of the night and check to see what time it is because you are excited? If so, then this is definitely something that you are passionate about.

Your passions are waiting!

Answering these seven questions will allow you to correctly identify what really excites you in life. If you find something that meets all seven of these criteria, that is definitely something you are extremely passionate about on a core level. If even one of these points applies then you should look a little deeper at the degree of passion involved.

We all have passions. Sometimes we just need to clear our minds, ask some simple questions and then give ourselves a little creative space.  Why not start identifying your personal passions right now?  All you need to do is apply these seven questions and watch as the discovery process unfolds.

If honesty is really the best policy then why is there so much deception? And if we feel disrespected when someone isn’t honest with us, then how can we justify those little white lies and carefully crafted exaggerations?

If we expect other people to have the courage to be honest with us, then wouldn’t anything but honesty from us be promoting a double standard? Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at honesty and see if it really is the best policy.

Being honest about honesty

On the surface, the concept of honesty seems simple enough. All we have to do is tell the truth in every situation, right? Then why is it that otherwise truthful people will justify distorting the truth in certain situations? If being honest makes life simpler then why would anyone purposely complicate things by being even slightly dishonest?

There are numerous situations that will quickly test our resolve to be completelyhonest. The tendency seems to start when we are children and we want to avoid punishment. Fear gets the better of us and we say something in an effort to avoid the consequences of whatever it was that we did. If it works, then we just saw proof that lying is less painful and requires less courage than honesty.

What a tangled web we weave, when first

we practice to deceive!  ~Sir Walter Scott

Since moving away from pain is the strongest human motivator, we quickly learn to fall back on dishonesty anytime we think it will spare us from painfulconsequences. For some, this tactic is reserved for only the stickiest of situations. For others, lying becomes their strategy of choice and as long as they don’t get caught they feel no guilt or remorse.

Common justifications for being dishonest

Besides avoiding the consequences of our actions, there are a wide array of seemingly more noble reasons to avoid total honesty, such as…

– Trying to spare someone’s feelings or pride.

– Not wanting others to think badly of us.

– Afraid that someone might steal our recognition.

– Thinking that we are protecting someone.

– Protecting our ego by avoiding embarrassment.

– An effort to help others save face.

– Our image or reputation is on the line.

– We dislike someone but don’t want them to know.

At first glance, we might feel that these are all perfectly legitimate reasons to bend the truth. After all, isn’t it for the greater good? Well, buying into that kind of twisted reasoning is the same as saying that the end always justifies the means. In other words, it is okay to do something wrong as long as it gets you the results you want.

Why do you think it’s called justification?

Anytime we need to justify our actions, we already know we are doing something wrong. Making excuses may soothe our logical mind temporarily, but it doesn’t do anything for the internal conflict that is created. When we deliberately do something that violates our core ethics, it sets in motion a destructive emotional conflict. The end result will be the slow erosion of our core values or the manifestation of some self-sabotaging behavior.  Either way, we lose!

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. ~Thomas Jefferson

Justifying dishonesty for any reason is the same as lying to ourselves. When someone lies to us we feel insulted because they didn’t respect us enough to behonest. Do you really want to disrespect yourself by doing the same thing? Of course not because all it does is aggravate the problem. The next question we need to ask is: What does it take to avoid the self-deceiving temptation to distort the truth in these seemingly justifiable situations?

Honesty requires courage and tact

Being honest requires courage because it makes us vulnerable and accountable. To avoid stepping on the feelings of others with our honesty also requires tact. Clearly, being truly honest involves more than just telling the truth in every situation, but for people of integrity it is the only acceptable choice.

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is

telling the truth to other people.  ~Spencer Johnson

When it comes to being honest in all areas there is probably no one alive who doesn’t have some room for improvement. Here are a few practical strategies to help you fine tune your efforts to develop the courage to be both honest and tactful.

5 ways to become even more honest and tactful

1. Set the record straight. Are there times when you have been less than honest in the past? Having the courage to review your past offenses may cause some discomfort, but recognizing where you have tweaked the truth in the past can help you identify patterns and stop them from continuing.

2. Practice honesty in the little things. There is a tendency to think that it’s okay to add a little harmless flare to the little things where nothing is at stake. The problem is, if we are dishonest in little things it will carry over into moremeaningful areas. It is much better to develop honest habits in the areas that require less courage first so we can build up our integrity to face the more difficult challenges.

3. Honestly emphasize the positive. Just because we are being honest doesn’t mean that it’s our job to point out the faults and shortcomings of others. If we focus on the positive then our honest evaluation of people and situations can be both refreshing and encouraging.

4. Don’t confuse preferences with reality. It is easy to color our view of reality based on our personal likes and dislikes. To be honest with others we need to recognize that our personal preferences don’t change reality. They only change how we feel about certain things. Being honest doesn’t mean that we are obligated to express every feeling we have on every subject.

5. It’s okay to say nothing. If someone puts you on the spot and being forthright is not in anyone’s best interest, what can you do? Have the courage to tell them that you would rather not say. This can be difficult when they press you for an opinion. Still, you have the right to speak or remain silent. This is especially useful if someone is trying to pull you into a pointless argument or when someone’sfeelings are on the line.

Always choose the high road

Being honest may not always be the easiest or most convenient course and  that’s why courage is required. But honesty is the course of integrity. Regardless of the prevalence of dishonesty, we all have the freedom to choose to live by a higher standard. People of integrity will always recognize and appreciate your honestyand courage.

To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must

be credible; to be credible we must be truthful. ~Edward R. Murrow

There is a strong and healthy trend toward transparency and honesty. People are tired of the cloak of deception that serves the selfish interests of the few while dragging down the many. We can all do our part by setting a good example, and by having the courage to be truly honest with ourselves and with others.

A bit of Life Skills we need to know

I am a big believer in using the power of gratitude to create positive changes. Being constantly aware of your many blessings, and feeling grateful for them, can have a huge impact on the quality of your life. When you are filled with appreciation, it quite literally changes the dynamic of your reality.

I find it truly amazing how one, simple, positive action can change so much in a person’s life. In fact, recognizing the profound power of gratitude is one of the things that have had a huge effect on my life. It has made me a more positive and caring person. It has also made me a better husband, father, and friend. I can honestly say that in some very tangible ways, gratitude has made my life better.

Harness the power of gratitude

Now you might not get the same exact benefits as I have, but I can pretty much guarantee that practicing gratitude and appreciation can change your life as well.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the simple act of being grateful on a regular basis will change your perception in very positive ways. How many other simple strategies do you know that can make such a claim?

Let’s take a look at some practical ways that you can start incorporating gratitude into your life so you can start enjoying the benefits immediately. Of course, these are just some examples based on my personal experience and the experiences of others I’ve talked with. Obviously, not all of them will apply to you, so just choose the ones that you feel comfortable with.

7 ways to improve your life with gratitude

1. Have a morning gratitude review. Make it a daily ritual to take one minute in the morning to think of all the people and things in your life that you are grateful for. You won’t get to everything in one minute’s time, but it’s enough to get you thinking in the right direction. A simple gratitude review will instantly set the tone for the rest of the day and help you focus your attention on other things to appreciate about your life. Can you think of a better use of one minute?

2. When you are having a hard day, make a gratitude list. We all have thosechallenging days from time to time. During those difficult days it can be hard to maintain a positive outlook. One of the things that can make a bad day much better is to take a break and make a list of all the things you are thankful for. No matter what you are going through, there are always things to be thankful for. Making a list of those things will shift your focus and make you feel much moreresourceful.

3. Instead of getting mad at someone, show gratitude. I know this isn’t always the easiest thing because it requires a complete reversal in attitude. But I can promise you that it’s a great thing to do for your own peace of mind. If you get mad, try to bite your tongue and resist the temptation to react in anger. Instead, take some deep breaths, calm down, and try to think of reasons you’re grateful for that person. Find something, anything, even if it’s something very small. Then focus only on that reason to feel grateful. Slowly your mood will begin to shift away from anger toward a more empowering state.

4. Instead of criticizing, show gratitude. This is similar to the strategy above, but much less challenging. This simple tactic can literally transform an important relationship like a marriage. If you constantly criticize your spouse, your marriage will slowly deteriorate. Yes, it’s important to be able to talk out problems, but no one likes to be criticized all the time. So, when you find yourself feeling the urge to criticize, stop and get a grip on yourself. Now take a moment to think about all the reasons you are truly grateful for your spouse. Then share that gratitude, as soon as possible and watch as your relationship becomes stronger.

5. When you face a major challenge, be grateful for it. Many people will see difficulties as a reason to complain and feel sorry for themselves. Trust me, that attitude won’t get you anywhere. Instead, try to see the positive aspects associated with those difficult experiences. Could you appreciate them as an opportunity to learn and grow? This simple change in perception can transform a challenge into something positive with possible long term benefits. But for that to happen we need to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

6. Express gratitude to others at every opportunity. Say thank you whenever someone shows you the least bit of consideration. Doing this will make you feel better and it will encourage others to be more considerate. There are plenty of rude and inconsiderate people in the world, but you can be a force for good simply by spreading some gratitude around. Be on the lookout for even small acts of kindness. When you notice them be quick to express appreciation and watchwhat happens. You can use the power of your gratitude to help others feel good about themselves.

7. Focus on what you have not what you don’t have. Have you ever looked around you and felt shortchanged because the place you live isn’t your dream house or the car you drive isn’t as nice as you would like? It’s easy to forget that there are billions of people who are much worse off than you are. Those people would be so grateful to have what you have.  When you compare your life to these people’s lives, you can’t help but feel grateful for the life you have.  You may not have everything, but you must admit that you have been blessed in many ways.

Make the shift and enjoy the benefits

The more you focus on gratitude the more you will appreciate your life and the happier you will be. An appreciative attitude will also make you more aware of your blessings and prevent you from taking them for granted. Remember, the happiest people are not the ones who have the best of everything, they are the ones who are grateful for everything they have.