Do you know what you want out of life – personally and professionally? Over the weekend my daughter was dropped off to her first sleep-away camp. The idea of her away from home for six days rattles me more than just a bit.

While talking with one of her camp counselors, who has been there for over 40+ years, I couldn’t help but envy her pure, inner joy for having such a passion for camp life. I use envy in a good way because most people don’t know what they want to do much less what their true passions are.

We often think people are motivated by money and although that’s a powerful motivator however I’ve found it’s the lifestyle and freedom to make choices rather than money itself that motivates people. Wouldn’t you agree?

I’m all for being true to your life’s passions however in practicality, there are real responsibilities like bills to be paid, food and clothing to buy, and er a week’s worth of camp which isn’t exactly cheap J .

So how do you combine your life’s purpose and business passions so you can do what you love and make a living from it? The answer is to challenge yourself to a new experience and embrace any opportunity with complete openness.

We’re habitual by nature and are stuck in daily routines that can hinder any sparks of inspiration. When we are conscious of our surroundings and are truly open to new experiences, we’re more likely to see sparks of inspiration as ideas which could lead us to explore our true passions. When we’re close-minded, these inspirations become random thoughts. 

For example, challenge the way you think, your beliefs, ideals, and so forth. We’re constantly changing and our wants and even beliefs can change from one day to the next.

For my daughter, she couldn’t wait to attend camp because as she puts it, “how cool camp would be because I’ll make new friends and I can do things that I can’t with you guys.”  How many grown ups have this openness about a new experience? For many people, the idea of anything new frightens them nearly to death.

The biggest challenge for many people is adapting to change itself. The prospect of not knowing what to expect scares some of us. We resist change because we tend to think of what we’re going to lose rather than what can be gained from a new experience.

Clearly my daughter isn’t thinking about losing a week with her brother and parents but all the cool things she’s gaining – she’s focused on the benefits of her newfound experience.

Whatever you’re looking to achieve – whether it’s to sell more products or sponsor more recruits – there’s going to be some pain involved whenever you’re challenging yourself to a new experience. 

There’s pain in learning new skills, doing some things you’re not comfortable with like talking about your business opportunity, or giving up some of your favorite things that you enjoy doing to make time for your business. There’s also joy in learning new things too. No pain no gain, right?

The first step towards change and embracing a new experience is to take action. Then, begin to shift your mindset and challenge yourself to a new way of thinking – that is, think about what you’re thinking.

How about you? When was the last time you challenged yourself to a new experience?

Give yourself a new challenge for August. Maybe you’ve been wanting to write an ebook, take on a blogging challenge, learn social media marketing, start a new business, whatever it is go for it, why not?

‘til next time,

Janette

p.s. Word from my daughter’s camp counselor is that she’s having a blast! J