Running Low on Passion? Time to Refuel!


By Shary Hauer


When was the last time you were really excited about something in your life?

Where you walked around with a grin of big joy, pulsed with tons of energy, felt buoyant, lifted?

Surely, each of us has experienced moments of passion. Great flows of pure enthusiasm, where time, responsibilities and worries are suspended. When nothing else matters but what or who you are immersed with at that moment.

But, what about now?

Are you there parts of your life in which you feel passion-less? Are you drifting? Or, feeling stuck?

Is your energy waning?

Do you get frustrated when you realize that some of the wants and dreams you have for your life go unfulfilled? Refueling Your Passion for Leadership and Life Many of my clients are in various stages of a passion "re-boot". Some are going through mild forms of "blahs", others feeling semi dis-engaged. Like sprucing up a tired, outdated family room with a fresh new coat of bright paint and sexy new pillows, my clients and I find ways to reconnect to the sources of energy that bring them brightness and meaning again. For me, when I'm feeling cranky and un-inspired, I know that I've allowed my "creativity tank" to get too low. So, I schedule "Creative Dates": Stroll art galleries or an outdoor art show, talk to artists, go dancing, create new programs with colleagues, write, write, write. Like a transfusion, my soul is restored with vibrant creative juice.

When it comes to feeling low on passion, there is likely a common denominator:

We've probably lost connection with our inner spirit. We've strayed from our heart's desires. We're so busy, we've crowded out our soul's voice. How sad.

The Power of Full Engagement for Executives
When you think about it, we really are spiritual beings in physical bodies, yet we pay little or no attention to our spirit. We exercise at the gym and run, keeping our PHYSICAL self in shape. We spend at least 99% of our day working out (vastly over-working) our MENTAL self. And, it's safe to assume that in some ways, our EMOTIONAL self takes a ride around the block during the day, too. But, what about our SPIRITUAL SELF? The spirit that knows what you love, what you're passionate about? The spirit that knows precisely your greatest talents and gifts? The spirit that knows exactly your deepest purpose and what brings you most the most fulfillment?

Top 10 Questions to Help You Renew Passion
If you are running low on passion in some part of your life, this month's Leadership Briefing gives you Top 10 Questions to help you refuel. One of the best anecdotes I know to reconnecting to your heart's desires is to schedule a "personal retreat"--- to get still for an hour, reflect and respond to questions like these. The power of inquiry is always telling--- it invariably opens the door to something you didn't realize about yourself or forgot about. Even though I've answered question #10 before, today my response surfaced an entirely new direction. Isn't that interesting? I hope you take time to remind yourself of what your spirit already knows. May you be illuminated by your inner wisdom and inspired to take action.

1. What kinds of people, activities, interests give you the most energy?

2. What are your UNIQUE TALENTS--- the strengths, gifts that are uniquely yours? (list all of your strengths, including personal, professional talents)

3. What gives you the greatest joy, satisfaction and renewal in your life?

4. What does your heart long for?

5. If you only had the guts, you would:

6. What would you be doing if you had all the time, money and energy you needed?

7. Imagine that your local bookstore is reducing its inventory to one category of books. If it were up to you to choose the single remaining genre, which one would it be?

8. If you could try three new and different jobs over the next year, what would they be?

9. Imagine that you were meant to teach others three things in life. What would they be?

10. If you were allowed to make one powerful, positive change in the world, large or small, what would it be? Take the Passion Quiz: Passion is the Key to Extraordinary Leadership Performance How about checking in on what motivates you in your work? This Triple P Quiz from my colleague David Batstone is a quick way to gauge what drives Your Purpose, Your Passion and Your Profit. http://www.triplepquiz.com

Acknowledgements: Passionate Self-Development Experts
I feel immense gratitude to the many teachers who have shared the power of deep inquiry. The questions above are inspired by:

1. Exquisite Life Coach Cheryl Richardson who shares in this month's issue of Body Soul Magazine, http://www.bodyandsoulmag.com, questions 7-10 above.

2. Martha Beck, Life Coach and author of Finding Your Own North Star http://www.marthabeck.com

3. Alan Cohen, spiritual teacher and prolific author. To this day, I still turn to my worn and torn copy of A Deep Breath of Life: Daily Inspiration for Heart-Centered Living. http://www.alancohen.com

Shary Hauer is the founder and Head Coach of The Hauer Group, Inc. She is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) of high-achieving, high-potential corporate executives who aspire to lead their organizations and lives masterfully. As the Executive Potentialistâ„¢, Shary guides leaders and their teams in cultivating positive behavior change tapping all of their potentials. For the past 10 years, Shary has coached several hundred global executives throughout the U.S., Canada, and Latin America and Europe.

Visit http://www.thehauergroup.com.


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