The Passion Test

This morning I had breakfast with three of my women cousins, oh, such a good time!  I LOVE spending time with my family, in fact, just recently, I found out I am most passionate about spending time with family and friends.  It may sound funny to you that I say, “I just found out…” you’d think I just would inherently know what I’m passionate about, but the truth is, I didn’t really until I took a test!

Let me back up a little.  I don’t know if it was the time in which I grew up, or it was the culture or maybe it was because I was born female, but I can’t remember a time when I was encouraged to pursue my dreams or passions.  Until recently, I didn’t even remember what they were!   What I do know is, I grew up in what I consider was a very turbulent time.  When I was very young, mothers and wives stayed home and took care of the home, husband and kids.  When I started school, so did my Mom, she went back to college.  By the time I was 8 my Mom started working full time at a hospital and by the time I was 10 or 11 the “Women’s Lib” movement was in full swing, and women were bringing home the bacon and frying it up in a pan!!!!  When I reached high school and college, women were admonished if they wanted to stay home and raise a family.

When it was time to have my own children, I knew for myself that I wanted a hand- on experience with them, and so I felt comfortable enough to make the decision to stay home with them at least until they both had reached school age.  But between being a wife, mother, chauffeur, cook, housekeeper, teacher, laundress, etc., I had found that fulfilling my own wants and needs, dreams and passions always came last (if at all!), until…….well…..until it came to the point that if anyone asked what I wanted, I didn’t have an answer because I didn’t know anymore!  There’s no one to blame, it’s just what happened.

Recently a friend of mine told me about a book called, The Passion Test, by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood.  As the book suggests, there is a test to be taken to help facilitate in finding and focusing in on one’s passions.  I have to be honest, I have not finished the entire book yet, but I did take the test and it is what helped me to set some goals which included getting this blog started.

 I know there are some of you gals out there who know what it feels like to kind of lose focus on yourself because you’re taking care of everyone else.  But let me be the one to tell you, if no one else is, your dreams and passions are valuable, they represent who you were always meant to be and I want to encourage you to reawaken those desires.  If you already know what your passion is, go for it; take baby steps if you have to.  If you don’t, you can utilize resources like the book I used or simply ask friends whom you trust and who want what’s best for you.  You can do it!   For those of you who are living your passions, I applaud you, you’re awesome, so please encourage and mentor those of us who need a nudge.  Come on, let’s become all we were meant to be…..and MORE!!!

-Tessa L. Charles