What do you want to do when you grow up?
I still remember those desperate feelings of uncertainty, not knowing the answers – worried that if I didn’t choose wisely I would doom my future. What kind of profession should I choose? What do I want to do for the rest of my life? Who do I want to be when I grow up? So many questions were spinning inside my head.
I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was under enormous pressure to decide because in those days I lived in a Communist country and my decision had permanent consequences. Under Communist rule, once you had finished school the job you got was the job you would do for the rest of your life!
There would be no career changes, you stay in your job until you retire – that’s a lot of years ahead when you are only 15! For many people it’s an ideal situation, but not for me. I had no idea what I wanted to do and I was scared that I would be stuck doing something I did not like for the rest of my life!
Mum knows best
Eventually, my Mum decided for me and I was relieved not to have to decide myself – after all, „ Mum knows best!“ 🙂 It was kind of a relief back then, as my whole family had gone to the same school.
Ever since then I was constantly searching for that one thing that would be my passion. Thankfully, Communist rule ended and I was able to change careers and do different jobs as a way to try to find myself. It took me 15 long years but I did it. I found my passion. How?
It was that „A-HA! lightbulb“ moment when I got the help. When I applied few techniques. And when I understood I need, to be honest with myself. When I realized that I needed to pay attention to what I want instead of what others think is good for me. When I decided to be brave enough to live my own life.
Life without passion
What does it mean to live your own life? What can you expect when you find it? Let me tell you another story, another fact about me which I have not shared with you yet.
I am a celiac… don’t worry, it’s not contagious and I’m not dying – not yet. Just a short explanation for those who have no idea what being a celiac it means: I am intolerant to gluten. My body can not digest anything that contains gluten – pretty much everything that is made from flour or wheat. I have to eat special gluten-free products, for the rest of my life. No normal bread, cakes, pasta, pizza, biscuits…. pretty much everything that tastes really good!
No need to feel sorry for me. It may surprise you but I was so happy when they diagnosed me as a celiac. It sounds a bit strange I know, but I have suffered with anemia for many years. I always felt so tired, I was bloated and was overweight, depressed with no energy.
Life with no energy
It really affected my confidence (I had none!) and I felt completely useless for a very, very long time. When I woke up in the morning I was already tired and all I wanted to do was sleep. I came home from work and went to sleep. I had no energy to go out, meet with friends or enjoy my life; I had no energy to live.
I didn’t feel alive because I was either sleeping or wanting to sleep most of the time anyway. The sad thing is that your mind slowly adapts to those changes and you do not even realize how bad it is. You think that everything is normal. Everyone is tired, right?
I went on like that for a few years, with the only help being a medication which was supposed to work but made me even worse instead! Celiac disease wasn’t very well known back then and I wasn’t tested for it so it was just the anemia symptoms that were treated.
Desperate for the solution
Eventually, I got to the point where I was completely fed up and desperate – I just wanted to try another medication or be tested so that they could find the cause of my problem. I even started to do some research and look for the answer myself as I knew I just had to find the cause of my ill health.
I couldn’t carry on with the doctors just putting another „plaster“ on the problem. I decided to if I wanted to feel better I would need to look for another solution. I changed my doctor and was referred to a specialist. Within a few of days, I had my results and I knew my diagnosis: Celiac disease.
Life with passion 
A lot has changed since I got my diagnosis. I was so happy that I finally knew what was wrong with me and I knew what to do to get better.
Honestly, within 2 hours of the diagnoses, they had injected the iron (to treat my anemia) straight to my vein and literally by the time I got home, I felt like a completely different person.
Finally alive
I had so much energy and I am not exaggerating when I say that I was cleaning my windows – I didn’t know what to do with all this sudden energy! If only I knew sooner how beautiful life could be. My life improved 200% – I not only have clean windows since then, I have lost weight, my hair, nails and skin improved dramatically! This „miracle“ happened within 2 months of me changing my diet.
Sure, I don’t eat bread or cakes anymore (I mean the usual cakes made with wheat flour) but do I care? No! I don‘t want them anymore because how I felt before I was diagnosed can’t compare with how I feel now.
I have changed my diet completely, I have discovered not only new foods but also new opportunities, new possibilities, and a completely different life! A life that I had no idea could be so easy, powerful and amazing when my body works at full power. It is a joy when your body and mind are in harmony and when you function fully.
Finding the real you
Why am I telling you this story? Are you wondering what it has got to do with finding the passion? A lot. The same feelings and the life makeover I had since I have discovered my passion. The feeling when you do something that you love;
When you work although you do not have to; When you happily think about your work; When you dream about because it all fits with you life you want to life; When work is your purpose and not just your job to earn money; When you feel reborn. This is the Real you, the New you!
If you are still looking
If you are one of those lucky people who has already found their passion, then you know what I am talking about – but I also know there are still many people out there who are lost. I know exactly how does it feel. Still working a job to pay their bills, feeling stuck, unhappy and unfulfilled. And maybe they just need a little help as I did. That „push“ in the right direction, to discover it.
So how can YOU find your passion? Finding the real you! Probably this is not the answer you were looking for but unfortunately there is no other answer. If you want to live a fulfilling life, live fully, do something great and enjoy the whole process, you need to look inside of you.
Once you re-discover who you truly are, you will know it was all worth it. You will discover a new life. So don’t be afraid to choose maybe a different path and take unusual steps if it is necessary because I can help you with all that looking for you.
