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Man Challenges Athlete to a Race Because He Thinks Women Cant Beat Men - Her Response Goes Viral
Uplifting News

Man Challenges Athlete to a Race Because He Thinks Women Cant Beat Men - Her Response Goes Viral

While stereotypes can be dangerous, sometimes they can be downright funny. Thankfully, one college athlete knew just what to do when an overconfident peer thought he could beat her at her own game — literally.When Will We Learn to Stop Underestimating Women?A recent TikTok video is going viral for all the right reasons!University of Virginia track and field athlete Alahna Sabbakhan (@lahnazak), was at crossroads. The scholarship athlete was shocked when she was challenged to a race by a male acquaintance who insisted "no woman could beat him."The best part? Her challenger wasn't even an athlete. What's even more bizarre was her challenger brought his family along to see his projected "big win." He Couldn’t Have Been More WrongIt all started during one of Alahna's routine workouts.The track star had been minding her own business, when her boyfriend's friend showed up out of the blue and insisted on competing against her in 400-meter race. Despite the absurdity of his claims, the 22-year-old track star embraced the opportunity before her. Instead of choosing to be insulted by his overconfidence, she chose to turn it into a powerful lesson for everyone watching...and the results couldn't have been more perfect.He Didn’t Realize He’d Just Picked the Hardest RaceDuring the first half of the 400-meter race, she cheekily kept pace with her challenger, who "does not run" regularly, she said in the video. "He didn't really know what to challenge me in," she says. "He was like, 'Yeah, I could beat her in the 400' — not realizing that that was one of the hardest track events and that was one of my secondary events."Alahna SabbakhanAt the 150 meter mark, her challenger wrongly thought they were neck and neck — he didn't realize he'd already overexerted himself whereas Alahna was just getting started.After the first 200 meters passed, her competitor fell off. At the same time, Alahna picked up the pace to "finish hard, because that's what you do as a track runner," she shared.It wasn't long before the gap between them widened drastically and Alahna was the clear winner, leaving her overconfident competitor in the dust.Maybe someone should have warned him to stay in his own lane (literally)!She Had Nothing To Prove — "Just to Clarify, I Did Not Want to Race This Man"Even though he was totally out of his field, Alahna wasn't looking to school anyone.In her video Alahna clarifies she was a reluctant participant; "I did not want to race this man. I was already at the track with my boyfriend doing a workout, and he came to join."More than anything, the athlete — who runs a successful TikTok page sharing diet and fitness tips — wanted to remind her followers to not let other people's opinions of you get in your head!TikTok / @lahnazak"My mom tells me this all the time: You already won. You already got your college scholarship, earned your athlete status," she continues. "So I don't think me racing some random guy at the track is really going to determine anything for me."Nearly 12 million views later, it's clear Alahna's story made its mark.With millions of views and climbing, the virality of the video speaks to the "universal experience" of having our years of hard work questioned and why it's important to block out the noise and keep your eyes on the prize.Finish Strong for Yourself — One Athlete’s Inspiring Message for People EverywhereWhen it comes to confidence, Alahna shared her story as a reminder of why it's so important to not compare yourself to others."Focus on your journey and your progress and where you used to be and where you want to be, because it's just going to waste your time and drain your energy to be focused on everyone else," she says.Keep realistic and motivating goals. "If you're writing them down and reminding yourself of (your goals) every day, then that really helps block out that extra noise," she says. "That's been helping me not care about the negative things people are saying to me because of that video. I'm just reminding myself about how I have bigger goals."

What Does Passionate Love Really Mean?
Dating

What Does Passionate Love Really Mean?

There are all different kinds of romantic relationships. Some types of romantic passion are super intense, then the intense feelings burn out quickly. Others maintain a slow burn for years to come. Relationships progress in different ways, but what’s pretty universal is how those early stages of passion can make us all feel a little crazy. (Quite literally, as we’ll soon discuss below.)Understanding the different types of love can be helpful for clarifying what kinds of relationships really can stand the test of time. While enduring passion remains a social and cultural ideal for romantic bonds, it may not be as desirable as you might think.Here’s what you need to know about passionate love—and the truth about what kind of love may be even better.The meaning of passionate love—and compassionate loveThe scientific term “passionate love” is defined as “a state of intense longing for union with another.” This definition was coined by social psychologist Elaine Hatfield, who specializes in relationship science. It’s the feeling that many of us have experienced, one you can’t get with a long distance relationship. It’s where you feel you absolutely need to be physically with your beloved, and to be apart feels excruciating to your very soul. Your heart may ache in the person’s absence, your mind races everytime they text you and you may feel nervously excited in their presence. Hatfild not only defined passionate love, she also explored the difference between this early, excitable state of a relationship and a more enduring type, compassionate love. Compassionate love (which can also be called “companionate love”) is less about intense passionate feelings of lust and sexual attraction and more about having a deep sense of trust in the other person, as well as feelings of mutual respect and affectionate love. (you can read more about this form of platonic relationship here).The hallmark difference between these types of intense romantic love is that while passionate love includes feelings of anxiety, compassionate (or companionate) love doesn’t. With compassionate love, you don’t feel that underlying sense of uncertainty about your romantic relationship. Signs you’re in a passionate relationshipPassionate relationships are hot and heavy, and they may leave you with more feelings of anxiousness than happiness. Passion can border on obsession, causing intrusive thinking about losing your partner, negative feelings, feeling uncertain about where you stand and unsure about your relationship’s progress. Passionate lovers burn bright in the beginning of their romantic love but these kinds of relationships aren't typically sustainable for very long. Here are some of the key signs of a passionate relationship more in detail so you can better understand this type of human love:You put your relationship on a pedestal People in passionate love relationships idealize their romantic partners and believe they have no flaws or faults. This means that they often fail to see the red flags signaling that this person may not be the best partner for them in the long term. At the very least, they ignore any warning signs of incompatibility, believing instead that any differences between them can be changed, overcome or inconsequentially brushed off as no big deal. You have an overwhelming desire for emotional intimacyWhen you’re in a passionate relationship, you want to know your partner on every level and be known by them. Even the smallest details like how they take their coffee, what they were like as a kid or what their favorite movie is becomes fascinating information rather than just normal facts. You can spend hours messaging and talking on the phone (or being together in person) to soak up every last detail. You eventually feel emotionally dependent on your partner With passionate love, your relationship ups and down become your personal ups and down. When your union is thriving, you feel a surge of happiness. When the situation becomes rocky, you feel depressed. You can no longer separate your mental state from the state of your relationship. You have an intense craving for physical closenessEmotional and physical dependence are signs you’re in a passionate relationship. You not only have strong sexual interest in your partner but you crave being in their presence and feel an ache when you’re apart. When you’re with each other, you have a hard time keeping your hands off each other because of your sexual chemistry. You’ve tested your relationship on the “Passionate Love Scale”Hatfield, along with sociologist Susan Sprecher, created what they call the Passionate Love Scale, which is a set of questions that helps you determine if you are indeed in a passionate relationship. Some of the questions include things like: Do you feel a powerful emotional and sexual attraction to this person?Would you be devastated if your partner left you?Do you think about your partner constantly?Does your relationship sometimes make you feel like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster?Do you feel depressed or anxious when your relationship is in question?If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, your relationship is in the passionate stage. Are passionate relationships good for you?When it comes to your general well being and overall happiness, passionate relationships are not in fact the best for your mental health. In fact, the way people act when they’re in a passionate relationship can be compared to having behavioral addictions, almost like the way our bodies react to having obsessive-compulsive disorder or doing drugs. Passionate love alters people’s brain chemistry, causing them to crave their partners, feel euphoric on the good days (and anxious on the bad days) and even experience withdrawal when they are not with their beloved.In short, this kind of love really can make you feel like you’re going insane—because, according to your brain, you are. Because of the constant ups and downs of passionate love, you may even experience self esteem issues, doubting yourself when things aren’t going so well. This can be because people who seek out and stay in passionate relationships can sometimes have more anxious attachment styles that crave the excitement and uncertainty of these roller coaster relationships. Why you should seek out a compassionate relationshipAlmost every relationship begins as passionate love, to some degree. The key to making these bonds last is allowing them to evolve into compassionate relationships. Compassionate love involves feelings of longing and desire, without all of the anxiety. You get the lasting romance and the happiness of love without the intense highs and lows.Not every passionate relationship will become a compassionate relationship. If you and your partner are not well matched or your relationship is rooted more in sexual interest than emotional connection, you likely won’t make it past the purely passionate state.Here are some of the key qualities of compassionate relationships so you know what to look for:Desire for long term commitment(Getty)For compassionate love to work, both people need to be on board with long term commitment. They don’t get bored when passionate love wanes and want to move on to the next fiery relationship. Instead, they look forward to the more “boring” phase of a union and the comfort that brings. Secure attachment styles from both partnersCompassionate relationships often require people with secure attachment styles, as these securely attached individuals tend to feel more at home with long-lasting, steady love. As mentioned, those with anxious attachment styles tend to seek out relationships that feel comfortable to them—they are drawn toward bonds that replicate the highs and lows they are used to. Attachment style isn’t a fixed quality, however: If you feel like you are drawn toward anxious types or are one yourself, you can work on forming attachments that are healthier for you. Deep sense of emotional intimacyCompassionate love relationships are defined by their emotional closeness. Partners are not emotionally dependent on each other in an unhealthy way but rather mutually invested in the relationship emotionally. They can tell each other anything without judgment or worry. They don’t need to second guess the other person’s feelings. Mutual respect and trustPassionate love is intense and exciting but often you’re not always sure about where you stand with the other person. Compassionate love, by contrast, doesn’t leave you guessing or worrying about the direction of your relationship. Your union is solid and you and your partner are equally invested in your relationship. How to keep the passionate love spark alive in a compassionate relationshipWhile compassionate relationships are quote-unquote healthier for you mentally, they can lack that exciting, falling in love feeling that many of us crave. To keep that passionate love spark alive, you may have to put in more effort than you used to at the beginning of your relationship.This means scheduling date nights (and even sex) to make time with your partner a priority. It could mean getting dressed up when you’d rather wear sweatpants. It may mean putting in some extra effort around the house to take the load off your partner. Small gestures of love can reignite that passion, even leaving little love quotes for them or something similar, to let them know you care. Sometimes that’s all you need to give your relationship a little boost. The important thing is that you don’t worry too much about the fact that you’ve lost that spark. Know that this is just a normal part of a romantic relationship. While passionate love burns out quickly, compassionate love endures over the long haul. Many of us have been taught through movies, TV shows and other media that “real” love should forever give you butterflies and that you should spend decades staring dreamily into your partner’s eyes. This is not the case.Yes, you may still find your partner attractive after many years in a compassionate relationship but it’s okay if you don’t gasp in ecstasy every time they enter the room. The exciting fervor of your early days inevitably gives way to a steady intimacy that will sustain you both as you grow old together. While that may not seem overly passionate, it’s still a very romantic notion.

What Are You Passionate About?
Motivation

What Are You Passionate About?

Some say passion is the spice of life. Others say it’s the cause of all suffering. Whatever your camp, passion is a part of being human. It’s such an essential part of life that most companies will ask you to answer interview questions about it, whether you’re applying for a position as a janitor or a CEO. Why does passion top the list as the must-ask job interview question, and what are you supposed to say when you’re asked? In some cases, this question might be the make-or-break between you landing your dream job or going back to the drawing board.Job seekers, don’t fret. There’s no need to have an existential crisis about whether you’re capable of feeling passionate about anything in the first place. Here’s what you need to know to discover your passion, talk about it with confidence to a hiring manager, and pursue it with zeal. And if you need even more motivation, you can always check out our quotes on passion once you’re done reading here! How do you know what you’re passionate about?You may be at a point in life where your passions aren’t totally clear to you. Rest assured that you’re not alone. It takes time, life experience, and honest self reflection to discover what you’re genuinely passionate about. Despite what the Disney movie ‘Soul’ might have to say about it, we aren’t all born with assigned reasons for being. Most of us are a lot more like the lovably sarcastic 22: we may need a little help finding our “spark.”A few qualities will help you find it, including:curiosityopennessself-reflectionhealthy boundariesIf you approach your life from a place of curiosity, you’re more likely to have a sense of wonder when encountering new experiences. This is the same curiosity that inspires each one of us to learn to sit up, walk, and talk. It’s the same curiosity that leads a child to crack a book just to see what’s inside, or to pet a cat just to see what it feels like. Though these simple things may not excite you as much as you grow older, you can keep the same curiosity about life’s possibilities no matter how old you get. To do that, you’ll need to stay open. Once you think you know what it’s all about, it’s almost impossible to be curious. Life also gets a lot duller. Having a “been there, done that” attitude is just about the opposite of passion. On top of a curious, open mindset, self-reflection is key. Knowing yourself, from your likes and dislikes to your sense of right and wrong, can help you discover what stirs your passion. Finally, boundaries matter! You’re not going to feel passion for something if you’re doing it to please others or simply because it’s what you think you’re “supposed” to do. These erroneous ideas can shut off your passion valve quicker than a cold shower. What if I'm not passionate about anything?Here’s a quick test:Are you breathing? Are you conscious? Do you have a pulse? If so, I assure you that you’re capable of passion. Maybe you’re the level-headed, even-keeled type who doesn’t get their feathers ruffled. Maybe you prefer a quiet night in to a raucous party.You don’t have to be an extrovert or an adventure-seeker to have passion. You might think you’re not passionate about anything, but passion comes in many forms. For the Greeks, being guided by the passions meant succumbing to the overpowering control of the emotions, which often ended in tragedy. For many Buddhists, passion is a sign of attachment, the fetter that keeps us bound in suffering.The passion we’re talking about here refers to anything that lights you up, motivates you, or drives you to do, learn, and feel more. Passion can be emotional, enthusiastic, and exciting. It can also be highly rational, taking the form of an intellectual curiosity or a serious conviction. It can involve love and lust or mathematical formulas. It can even be a source of anger toward wrongdoing or injustice.If you don’t box yourself in to one definition of what passion can be, you’ll likely find plenty of things that you feel passionate about, even if it doesn’t look like passion at first blush. How to find your passionThough there’s no simple formula for finding your passion, some honest self-reflection is a good place to start. First, think back to what you were like as a child. Did you love searching for bugs, keeping a collection in a jar? Did you obsess over model trains, taking things apart, or building something out of nothing? Were you always the first to volunteer to play charades, jump at the chance to be on stage, or love moving your body to the rhythm of music? The answers to questions like these will give you powerful clues to where your passions lie. Once you’ve done that, think about the last time you felt truly alive. Where were you? What were you doing? Who were you with? And what about that situation lit you up? This isn’t always easy to do, and you may have a difficult time pinpointing a time in your life when you felt that way. That’s OK! That just means you have some more exploring to do.Finally, imagine yourself free of obligations. If you had infinite resources to support yourself, what would you do with all that free time? Would you spend it with family or friends? Would you volunteer for a cause that matters to you? Would you use your time to write a book? Would you be on a beach drinking mai tais? Have fun with this exercise, immersing yourself in the possibilities. There are no wrong answers - even in job interviews!Different ways of answering 'What are you passionate about’When it comes to impressing a hiring manager as a job seeker, you don’t have to have an absolute handle on what makes you tick to answer the question, ‘what are you passionate about?’ Your potential employer is simply asking to get to know you better. If an interviewer asks you this million-dollar question, they’re trying to get a feel for your personal interests, your lifestyle, and your goals.Your best bet is to provide a truthful answer about your personal life that shows:you’re a well rounded personyou lead a healthy lifestyleyou’re interested in self improvement in one way or anotherAnswers that touch on these topics demonstrate that you’re a well rounded candidate who maintains balance and stability in your life. To do this, you can focus on several different areas, including:What you do for funWhat you care aboutHow you stay healthyA topic that interests you.These answers don’t have to be directly job related, but you can tie them back to the position where you see an obvious link. Sample answers to ‘what are you passionate about’For instance, when it comes to answering based on what you do for fun, an example answer may go something like this:Example 1: “I’m passionate about getting outside and moving my body with roller skating. I enjoy putting on music and skating around an empty parking lot, practicing tricks. This is a really fun way to stay fit, enjoy new music, and work on upping my skills. I work on improving my balance, speed, and mastering new moves.”(Kevin Kozicki / Getty)An answer like this shows a potential employer that:you’re activeyou take care of yourself with physical fitness you enjoy the rewards that come from your effortsyou appreciate a challengeThese are all major pluses in a potential candidate. Example 2:When it comes to what you care about, you might say something like this:“I feel really passionate about disability rights. On the weekends, I often spend my time volunteering at a local chapter in support of them. We sometimes write letters to lawmakers or do canvassing campaigns to get the word out. I believe strongly in equality and our social responsibility to work for it.”An answer like this shows a hiring manager that:you’re principledyou’re willing to work for things you believe inyou don’t mind spending “leisure” time doing something importantyou are experienced at working in a group setting and engaging with the publicThese qualities look great in a job seeker. Example 3: When answering about how you stay healthy, you may something like:“I feel strongly about keeping my body in shape through weight lifting. During my last job, I would even practice three times a week during lunch, with recovery days in between. I record my reps and slowly increase with time. I know this will help prevent issues like low mobility and osteoporosis as I get older, plus the gym atmosphere offers me a strong community of people who encourage me to grow.”This answer demonstrates that you:take responsibility for your healthare consistent with your routinerecord your results and improve over timethink about your long-term futureappreciate people who support you and push youExample 4: If you answer with a topic that interests you, you may something like: “I’m very interested in Russian literature. My favorite author is Dostoevsky. I love how his works provide a window into human psychology and a snapshot of the historical period he was writing in. It fascinates me to explore how much his work has influenced literature that came afterward, and how it shaped the thinking, style, and standards of the field.”This answer shows that you:understand complex ideas and how they relate to one anotherappreciate cultures other than your own (assuming you aren’t Russian)think critically about how particular social and historical factors influence one anotherenjoy diving deep into a topic to understand the nuances and intricaciesunderstand how precedents are set and how their influence affects the futureMost people would want to hire someone who is this thoughtful, intelligent, and thorough in their understanding of a topic, and that will add to their own company culture. Notice that the best answers aren’t specifically job related, but still illustrate how a candidate might operate in the workplace.How NOT to answer ‘What are you passionate about?’There are also some ways you shouldn’t answer this question. Don’t force itNotice that the answers above don’t force a connection between the passion and the job. There’s no reason to contrive this. A smart potential employer will see the subtle implications behind the details. You don’t need to spell it out for them. What most hiring managers will notice is if you’re telling them what you think they want to hear. It will show if you’re inauthentic, and hiring managers don’t want to see that. Instead, focus on putting your best foot forward by being real, touching on your personal interests, and not getting into the nitty gritty details of your personal life. Share examples of how you spend your free time, what makes you tick, and ways that you step outside of your comfort zone in everyday life. Demonstrating this quality will show that you’re willing to do the same for the job. Don’t go overboardWhile giving a potential employer a truthful answer on what you’re genuinely passionate about is great, there’s no need to belabor the point.Focus on the broad strokes of your interests and the underlying themes rather than reciting your favorite fifteen stanza poem or jumping into an explanation about the theory of relativity. Stay focused on what the passion is and why it’s important to you, then move on. This shows hiring managers that you can stay on topic and don’t get carried away with minutiae. Don’t overthink itFinally, keep it simple. A job interview may be a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s natural to be nervous, but the best way to overcome any pre-interview anxiety is with preparation, not with “what ifs.”Rather than getting in your head about how you’ll be perceived by your interviewers, simply focus on preparing yourself to answer whatever question may come. To do this, you can write down the answers to a few questions so you’re not totally winging it in the interview.These questions can include:Why do I want this job?What can I offer in this role?How can this role make a difference for the company or the world?What are my strongest attributes?What are areas I want to improve?What appeals to me about this company?Journaling these answers will help you get in touch with why you’re at the interview in the first place. You don’t have to memorize your responses word for word. Just defining these parameters for yourself is often enough. And a little cheat sheet or a few notes don’t hurt either!What kind of follow-up questions to expectYou may be able to predict some of the standard questions you’ll be asked in an interview. (Klaus Vedfelt / Getty)These include what you’re passionate about, why you want to work for the company, and what appeals to you about the role you’re applying for. Of course, there will likely be follow up questions that are far less predictable. This is why it’s best to be prepared by answering the questions above. In a sense, an interview involves telling the story of who you are and why you’re a great fit for the role. The more familiar you become with your own narrative, the better you’ll be able to convey it to hiring managers.On the other hand, if you aren’t sure why you’d be a great fit, this will likely come through in your answer. Do your homework by crafting a story that feels authentic and accurate to you about your history, personality, and abilities. Once you do this, you’ll likely cover any potential follow up questions before they’re even asked. Some common follow up questions can include:What makes you a good culture fit for this company?What’s your strongest asset in the workplace?What’s your communication style like?You can also expect “spin-off” questions that encourage you to go into more detail about your initial answers. Live your passionPassion reaches far beyond a simple job. Passion is your reason for being. You don’t necessarily have to know what it is, though that will likely come with time. For some, passion lies in simply living passionately in all that you do, whether it be work, love, family, or the things you enjoy. Far more than a “thing” that you discover, passion is the attitude with which you approach life. Living passionately is a choice you can make in each moment, with every thought, word, action, and breath.

How to Find Your Passion
Self-Development

How to Find Your Passion

"Choose a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life." It's an old saying, one that seems straightforward enough. What it means is that if you find a career that you’re passionate about, “going to work” each day won't feel like the same way it used to. It might actually be fun!Today, there are many opportunities to pursue your passions and live a fulfilling life without clocking into a traditional nine-to-give corporate job. More and more, people are exploring ways to make money in their free time, spending time engaging in activities they’re good at. This includes everything from selling creative wares Etsy to flipping furniture to starting coaching businesses to help others find work they love. This article will explore what finding your passion means today, why it's important, and how to identify the right passion to pursue. What is finding your passion? What does passion mean? Dictionary.com defines it as "a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything." But when thinking about passion, it's also important to define what passion is not. For example, passion doesn't necessarily equate to something you're good at. You may be incredibly organized, someone that your co-workers look at as the gold standard for keeping everything on track and in line. But does organizing data excite you? Can you say that you feel a desire and enthusiasm for organization? (Sam Diephuis / Getty)If keeping things organized is something that genuinely does make you feel excited, you may have found your passion. But passion doesn't have to mean something that you have experience doing or are adept at.If you love creating something new, whether that's in the kitchen or through a craft, but have never leveraged these skills professionally, don't write the passion you feel when doing these activities off so quickly. You may be on to something. Why is finding your passion important?Unless you've been working at a job where you put your passion to use each and every day, it's likely that at some point in your career, you'll start waking up dreading each workday. Frankly, in some cases that dread may even begin while you’re reading job descriptions before you’ve even applied to the job!The fact is, if this is something you struggle with more than you’d like, you should know that eventually, the lack of excitement and motivation inevitably will impact other parts of your life as well. Maybe you start feeling down or depressed, or that you have less energy each day. Boredom is another key sign you're working at a job where your real world passions are not being put to use. What does it feel like to find your passion?When you're pursuing your passion, you may lose track of time. You won’t have that awful experience of feeling stuck. Instead, at any given moment, you’ll feel more awake and alive than usual. (Jason Homa / Getty)Stimulating your brain with work that you're excited to be doing will impact your overall mood and mental well-being for the better. You'll feel happier and happy around others. You'll feel energized. Others will notice this as well. Think of the people in your life you've encountered who you've felt excited to be around. Chances are they've been able to harness their passion within a specific subject or industry, and that energy radiates off of them. Questions to ask to help discover your passionIf you're not sure how to find your passion, here are a few essential questions to ask yourself to help guide you toward it. 1. What could I spend hours reading about?What topic or area of interest could you read about at length? Or, if you're not a big reader, what would you watch a lengthy documentary on? Or listen to a podcast about? Have you discovered a topic recently where you spent hours Googling to learn more? Curiosity is a crucial component of passion. Think about your younger self. Everything felt new and exciting, and you were free to explore and do the things that felt fun and interesting to you. Passions as an adult should feel the same way – something you'd willingly spend hours learning about and doing. 2. What type of work excites you?It's easy to identify what parts of your current job you despise doing. But where’s your true comfort zone? If you're looking for a starting point on where to find your passion, looking for the bright moments of excitement that you've felt at work can be a helpful place to start. If you don't feel any enthusiasm whatsoever in your current role, take a moment to visualize a job or career that feels exciting to you. Push yourself to imagine what an exciting day at work would look like. What kind of office are you in? Or, are you working from home? What do the messages in your inbox look like? What's currently pulled up on your browser? Look for signs of emotional investment, and you'll be on the right path to finding your passion.3. What do you already love doing?Maybe there's a hobby or activity that you already enjoy, but you never considered it as something you could leverage into a full-time job or career. For example, maybe you've been a fan of comic books since you were a child. Even if you don't have the artistic chops to draw your own comic strip, that doesn't mean that comic books can't be a part of your career. Opening up a comic book store, whether it has a physical location or solely online, or running a website for fans where you earn income through advertising are both examples of how to take what you already enjoy and turn it into a job. 4. What makes me happy?Maybe thinking about your passion feels too overwhelming to do all at once -- or you need more time to marinade on the answer to what excites you. If that's the case, try spending a week being mindful of the things that make you feel excited. Using clues from your day to day life can be a powerful tool in identifying exactly what passions you should pursue. For example, maybe you felt overjoyed when spending a few hours working in your garden. What is it about the experience that was most appealing to you? Was it seeing the progress that's been made since you first planted the seeds? Was it the problem-solving that helped your plants grow bigger and stronger when they initially struggled to thrive? These aspects are great context clues for your passion and can help lead you to work that makes you feel satisfied. 5. What kind of work do I commit to? What kind of job would you show up for day after day, even when parts of it are hard to do? Finding work you're passionate about isn't just something that makes you feel highly emotive or excited – it's also work that makes you feel committed, work that you feel so strongly about that devoting yourself to it feels worthwhile. Steps to take: Finding your passion If these questions still haven't led you to a clearer path forward, consider these steps to gain more clarity and start building a game plan for how you'll turn your passion into your day job.1. Ask aroundIf you were pursuing a new job, you'd likely rely on peers in the same field to help guide you. When trying to find your passion, asking others who seem happy and excited by their work can be a powerful tool to utilize. (Tim Robberts / Getty)Set aside some time to meet with people in your life who seem passionate about their careers and ask them to take you through how they ended up in that career. The more people you speak to and the more career paths you consider, the more possibilities for finding your passion will open for you.2. Try your passion outJumping into a new career or line of work can feel intimidating. So, if you think you may have found your passion, taking that next step toward switching careers might feel too risky to make. If that's the case, start to explore opportunities where you can test out this new passion without walking away from your current job entirely. Explore the option of doing this work as a side hustle or hobby or see if someone may take you on part-time as an apprentice. Don't just test it out for a few days, either. Give it a solid month or so and see if the work still excites you.3. Let your passion evolveOur interests change as we learn and grow. What excited you several months ago may not be as attractive to you now as a new passion that's started to evolve. It's okay to explore multiple passions at once or even to walk away from a passion you thought you had but is no longer serving you. Take time to allow your passions to grow and evolve – and if one or more of them end up fizzling out, pursue other passions instead. 4. Don't quit without a backup planIf the work you're currently doing lacks any passion whatsoever, it can feel tempting to quit without having another job or game plan lined up. However, it's essential to do your research and build up some savings if you're serious about pursuing new work you're passionate about. It's highly possible that your new career passion may mean taking a smaller salary to start out or that it will require some overhead to put up front before your new business starts making money. Build a financial plan for your new passion so that you're leaving your job at a time that'll set you up for the most success.5. Hone your skillsOnce you have a direction on what passion you'll pursue, you'll need to identify the necessary skill set to make this career a lucrative one -- and one that you're qualified to do. Practice the skills that are necessary for the new career and field you're after. Take time to research the skills required for the job and find opportunities to learn through online courses or certification programs. 6. Research your fieldPutting your passion into action means knowing your industry inside and out. Read up on what you're planning to pursue. Follow thought leaders in the space on social media and learn from what they've done. Find other professionals who are living the job you dream about and see if they'll allow you to ask them a few questions on their current position and how they were able to make it a reality. Signs you've found your passionSo, you think you've found your passion. But how do you know for sure? Here are a few signs that you're moving in the right direction.Time flies when you're working on it. If you've started to practice your passion, research it online or read about it, you find that suddenly hours have gone by when they feel like mere minutes. If reading, researching and engaging in the passion you've identified makes time feel irrelevant, this is a solid sign you've found the right passion to pursue.Hard work doesn't seem that hard. If the most challenging part of your new passion seems easy to move through and achieve, this is a sign you're on the right track. This doesn't necessarily mean that you're not exhausted after you've finished working on it. Pay attention to how you feel when you've called it a day. Do you feel accomplished? Satisfied? Fulfilled? All of these feelings point to signs that you've found your passion.You look forward to it. Working on this new passion is not something that you dread or even have to force yourself to begin. You actually look forward to working on this passion, so much so that you feel excited to get started. If there were no risks involved, you'd be doing it full-time. There are many barriers to pursuing passionate work, from financial risk to honing new skills. But what if all that was eliminated, and you could start earning a successful living from this new career passion tomorrow? If you'd say yes to this new option in a scenario where no risk exists, this shows that you've identified a true passion. Don't be afraid to failThe number one rule for finding your passion, above all else, is never ever to give up. Everyone deserves the opportunity to wake up each morning feeling excited about the work that they do. (PeopleImages / Getty)It's possible that finding your passion may take some trial and error. Maybe you were sure of a new career path, only to find that several months in, it's not exciting you the way it once did. Don't feel like you have to stay in that new role just because you spent time and effort getting there. If it doesn't make you feel excited and fulfilled, keep exploring new opportunities until you find the right fit. If you're having trouble staying motivated to find your passion, spend more time with the things that excite you. There's a reason there are so many quotes on passion out there – it's something every human being craves, and it's absolutely worthwhile to continue pursuing.FIGHT FOR THE LIFE YOU CRAVEAre you living your truth today?