Identifying one’s passions and interests is a crucial step in the process of discovering one’s Ikigai. It is by exploring what excites us, what gives us joy and enthusiasm that we can begin to chart the path toward a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
Passions are the activities that make us vibrate, that give us energy, and in which we can immerse ourselves for hours without seeing the time pass. These are the areas that awaken our curiosity, our creativity, and our desire to always learn more. When we are passionate about something, we feel a deep sense of accomplishment and flow, this state of intense concentration and satisfaction described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Interests, on the other hand, are the subjects and activities that arouse our attention and our desire to explore. They can be very varied, ranging from arts to science, to sports, cooking, or volunteering. Our interests often reflect our values, our personality, and our deep aspirations.
To identify one’s passions and interests, it is essential to ask the right questions and offer ourselves spaces for experimentation. You could ask yourself: “What activities give me the most joy and energy?”, “What topics can I talk about for hours without growing weary?”, “What are the fields in which I want to surpass myself and continually learn?”.
It is also very useful to reminisce about one’s childhood passions, those activities that made us vibrate before obligations and social expectations sometimes came to stifle them. By reconnecting with this part of ourselves, we can reactivate sparks of life and creativity that are just waiting to be kindled.
The exploration of our passions and interests also involves action and experimentation. It is important to allow ourselves to test new activities, to step out of our comfort zones to discover new horizons. One could sign up for a pottery class, travel to an unknown country, participate in a hackathon or become involved in an association that is dear to our hearts.
Each experience, whether positive or negative, is full of lessons about what truly drives us. By being attentive to our feelings, our moments of joy and flow, we can refine our self-understanding and identify the guiding threads that weave our Ikigai.
As part of Ikigai coaching, assistance in identifying passions and interests is a central element. The coach offers exploration tools such as questionnaires, creative exercises, and simulations to help the client clarify what makes them vibrate.
For example, the coach may invite the client to make a list of 100 things they love to do, without censorship or judgment. This exercise of creative abundance can unlock ideas and desires sometimes buried under layers of conditioning and habit.
The coach can also suggest the client create a “vision board”, a visual chart representing their dreams, passions, and aspirations. By selecting images and words that resonate with their deep self, the client makes concrete what animates them and clarifies the direction in which they wish to progress.
Identifying passions and interests is a living and evolving process, which is fed by curiosity, openness, and commitment. It is by daring to explore, by accepting to make mistakes, and by remaining attentive to our inner impulses that one can bring out their Ikigai, and trace their path toward a more authentic and inspiring life.
Key takeaways:
– Identifying one’s passions and interests is a key step to discover one’s Ikigai and to flourish.
– Passions are activities that make us vibrate and in which we can immerse ourselves intensely, losing track of time. They awaken our curiosity, creativity, and desire to learn.
– Interests are the subjects and activities that attract our attention and that we want to explore. They reflect our values, personality, and aspirations.
– To identify one’s passions and interests, one needs to ask the right questions, remember their childhood passions and experiment new activities by stepping out of their comfort zone.
– Each experience teaches us more about what truly drives us. By being attentive to how we feel and to moments of flow, we clarify our Ikigai.
– In Ikigai coaching, the coach offers tools such as questionnaires, creative exercises (list of 100 things we love, vision board), and simulations to help the client identify what makes them vibrate.
– Identifying passions and interests is an evolving process that requires curiosity, openness, commitment, and daring to explore and accept that we may make mistakes sometimes.
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