5 Things You Must Consider Before You Actually Start Living

5 Things You Must Consider Before You Actually Start Living

 In November 2011, a local farmer reported seeing a spider monkey in a Colombian park.

Scientists couldn’t believe it, because they thought that the species was locally extinct.

However, they organized a short expedition to explore this matter and it was a shocking moment when they could see fewer than 30 spider monkeys exist per 1 square kilometer of the park.

Despite the potentially false news, scientists were still curious to explore and that’s what made all the difference.

This passion for exploration teaches us a very important lesson on how to get started in our passionate¹ living quest.

After finding their purpose, the most common question I receive from my life purpose coaching clients is, “How Do I Get Started?”

Unfortunately, this question leaves many people defeated, before they even get started.

Why?

Because usually, people get very disappointed when they can’t find an easy instant way to flip² their life overnight and start making a living doing what they love.

In addition, they know very little about their field of passion that the can’t see beyond a very limited number of possibilities through which their passion can put food on the table.

One of my clients was so passionate about mathematics. But, he believed that the only way mathematics could be profitable is through becoming a university professor. This was not financially satisfying for him – a thing that could leave him defeated.

So, I did a quick exploration in the field of mathematics and discovered something very interesting.

When I told him about Arthur Benjamin, the mathemagician, he had a breakthrough and a new hope to live his passion!

He could see a role model who creatively integrates mathematics with magic and performs highly entertaining live shows. That for my client was a totally new and a very rare possibility to make a fortune from something he was truly passionate about.

When you take your time to explore your field, you too can find a unique possibility to make a fortune doing what you love. Exactly like the scientists who couldn’t believe in the existence of spider monkeys in the Colombian park, but with further exploration they could find the near-extinct species.

That’s why my answer to the “How Do I Get Started?” question always comes in one word, “EXPLORE!”

Here are 5 things you must put into consideration while you’re exploring your field:

1. Before blindly setting unrealistic goals and plans, you must first take your time to extensively explore your field. Read at least 5 books, follow the footsteps of role models in your field, and connect with people who share the same passion with you.

2. Give yourself enough time to learn and make mistakes on a small scale, so that you can confidently advance to higher levels.

3. Do your homework and research your field well enough, so that you can find creative ways to connect your passion to a profitable path and manifest your dreams.

4. Be patient. You need to realize that it is a journey of joyful³ transformation⁴, not a flip of a coin. That’s why practicing patience is key at your early stage of passionate living. A passion-driven life is built slowly – one step at a time.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every artist was first an amateur” It takes time to grow from being an amateur to being an artist in your field.

5. Don’t think of how long the journey will be. Instead, think of how joyful it is to spend every second of your life knowing that you’re moving in the right direction, doing something meaningful, and living your dream.

Explore!

If you followed this advice, you’ll grow on a solid foundation, become an artist in your field and develop essential business skills in small manageable chunks⁵. This means more confidence and less risk in pursuing your passion.

If exploration helped you find your breakthrough, please share your experience in the comments section below.

1 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

2 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

3 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

5 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？