Sometimes, finding a new passion in life can be difficult. But, what if the old one was the one you never stopped doing and the only thing stopping you from picking it back up was yourself?
“For many people, their first love affair with something comes during their teenage years. Maybe it’s music, or painting, or skiing. For others, it might be something as innocuous as cooking or baking. For me, my first passion came in my early twenties when I started to rediscover my love of reading. I’d been a voracious reader as a child, but by the time I hit my twenties I’d stopped reading for fun and had started reading only for school and work. It was amazing to me how much richer my life became when I started taking the time to read for pleasure again.
As I got older and began to explore different interests outside of reading, my passion for those passions slowly faded away. It wasn’t until I turned 40 that I realized how much missed out on life I had because of it. By then, it was too late to start over and relearn everything from scratch, so I decided to put my faith in chance and let passion guide me once again.
I’m now in my 50s and things have finally begun to fall into place for me professionally. With that comes more time for leisure activities such as traveling, spending time with family and friends “
What led you away from it?
At first, it was just a passing phase. After all, what was the point of getting lost in something you didn’t really care about? But then the years passed and that passion slowly faded until it was gone altogether. What happened?
The answer is simple: life got in the way. We were busy with work and family obligations, and we forgot why we started enjoying our passions in the first place. It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday grind, but it’s important to rediscover our old passions at middle age if we want to have a fulfilling life.
If you’ve been neglecting your interests, here are five tips to help you get back on track:
1. Take time for yourself. Whether you’re reading books, going for walks or spending time with friends and family, make sure you give yourself permission to focus on what’s important to you. Trying new things can also be a fun way to recapture your interest in your old pursuits.
2. Find like-minded people. When we’re lost in our own world, it can be difficult to find encouragement or support from others. Joining a club or group related to your interests can help you make friends with people who share your passion, and it also gives you a place to go when you’re feeling isolated.
3. Give yourself some time away from it all. Taking a break from your hobby or interest is one of the best things you can do for yourself if it’s been a while since you’ve done anything with your old passions. A change in scenery, even if only for a day or two, can be very invigorating and give you new energy to get back into what’s important to you.
4. Don’t just throw money at your passion: take steps towards making it happen. There are plenty of ways to start pursuing your interest once again; whether that means finding the right equipment or researching the right ways to make it happen. There are countless ways that you can start making your interests a reality.
5. Don’t just sit there and wait for things to come to you: jump in and do something. If you’re feeling bored then take action; whether that’s by finding an online course, starting a blog or joining some kind of hobbyist community (such as this one). All these things will give you a fresh way of approaching your old interest, giving you something new to talk about with others or a new goal for yourself.
Why do you want to rediscover this passion now? It really doesn’t matter. Just get off that couch and go get it!
Also read:
How social media can pep up your retirement
3 tips for finding love again after 60
