PassionKey newsletter

About Curt

Client Stories
& Testimonials

Events/Speaking

Jobs

Resources

Public Service Announcements

Contact

    PassionKey Newsletter

October, 2003 -- "If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done." - Dale Carnegie -- Forging the Heart/Head Alliance Does your brain stomp on your dreams? Have you ever let a dream out into the light, only to find your mind immediately squelching it with a million reasons why it's not logical, reasonable, or rational. If so, you're in good company. Many people fall into the trap of making entirely "head-based" decisions about their careers...and in doing so they wind up feeling unfulfilled and stuck. Their heart is missing from the equation. Imagine if you took a risk and really gave your heart a voice.And I don't mean throwing “reality” to the side and looking at the future through rose colored glasses. Giving your heart a voice isn't about sticking your head in the sand. It's about giving equal validity to what your heart has to say, and not letting your brain cut down your dreams when they could have flown given half a chance. Forging the Heart/Head Alliance doesn't just mean giving your heart a voice, it also entails a shift in the role of your head. When in it comes to your dreams, your brain can play one of two roles. The all too common role is to provide you with endless reasons why you can't do it (the infamous "I can't because..."). The other possibility is putting that same energy towards asking yourself, "How can I make this happen? What are the pitfalls (because there will *always* be pitfalls)? How can I find my way around them?" Clearly, there are factors that you need to take into consideration as you pursue your passion. In fact, ignoring the landscape is a great way to fail. Your brain is there to help keep you safe. Let it play its role. But don't let it run out of control. Next time you find yourself saying, "I can't because," stop a moment and flip it on its head. Start developing a habit of saying instead, "I could, and this is how." Creating a strong Heart/Head Alliance has the potential to be immensely powerful if you let it. Listening to your heart shows you the path that's right for you. Listening to your head offers you a perspective on the best way to make it happen, and helps you avoid trouble. Your heart and your head were meant to work in synch, to complement each other. Together they can help you achieve more than you ever thought possible. Take a look at the decisions you are making right now about your path into the future. Are they lopsided? Is your head running roughshod over your heart? What would your world look like if your heart got equal play, and your head supported your dreams? The decision is yours. You can choose to make it happen. -- Try this! Money is an important element in our career decisions, no doubt about it. But its importance often gets so inflated that we can't see around it to evaluate any of the other factors that could come into play. Here's a simple exercise to help you look beyond the money. Pretend you've landed in some wild alternative dimension where they don't use money (hey - could happen!). People get paid for their work in the feeling they get from it. The highest paid people are the people who are doing something that really makes them feel fulfilled, energized, and happy. If you wanted to maximize your pay in this dimension, what would you be doing? What kind of work? What activities? What situation? What kind of feeling would what you do give you? I call this idea Non-monetary ROI (Return On Investment). And the cool thing is, it's applicable in *this* dimension as well. Set aside the idea of money for a moment, and take a look at the things that would give you the greatest possible non-monetary return on your investment of time and effort. -- Ask the Passion Catalyst! Q: I'm definitely not pursuing my passion, but it's just not realistic for me to make a change right now. How can I make my current job more palatable until I'm ready to do something else? A: Whether you are looking for a new direction or a way to refine what you're doing now, developing your Passion Core (sm) is a great way to start. You can see more about developing your Passion Core here and here, but in a nutshell you can think of it as the internal compass made up of the things that leave you feeling energized and fulfilled. When you have a really deep awareness of what makes you tick, you can start using your Passion Core to evaluate your current job. What pieces of it are actually in synch with your Passion Core? Are there ways you could do things differently that would bring your day to day activity closer into alignment? Maybe there are projects you could volunteer to take on that bring more of what you need into your work. Conversely, where are the areas that just don't match your Passion Core? Are there ways to make changes there? Taking this approach won't turn drudgery into a dream job, but it's a good bet that you can make your situation a lot more palatable with some effort and awareness. -- Let me help you identify your passions and create a career that lights your fire. Interested, but can't decide? Try a FREE half-hour trial session! More info here.