"There are some things in life that catch your eye, and then there are those that capture your heart. Pursue those."

　　We all know of people who have passion for

　　their work. Unfortunately, there are many others who are suffering from passion deficit. The symptoms of passion deficit include sadness, anger, confusion, and frustration. Other signs are blaming your unhappiness on others or feeling like something is missing in your life.2

　　Searching out your passions

　　First reflect on3 times when you've been involved in an activity you were excited about. Ask, "When did I lose track of time in an activity? When have I felt exhilarated about what I were doing?" Then make a list of "passionate activities." It can include things you did as a child or an adult—anything from jigsaw puzzles to computer games to opera.4

　　Another technique is to visualize your perfect day of work, including what clothes you are wearing, how you get to work, what your work environment looks like, and how many people you interact with during the day.

　　People who have already found their way to work they love often advise listening to your heart. Some say "finding what speaks to you and gives you energy is the most important thing. The passion then shapes your choices."

　　Making sense of your passions

　　When you have your list of passionate activities, search for patterns. Determine whether your passions are based on a highly specialized topic, like computers, or centered on a theme, like entrepreneurship. If you enjoyed swimming competitively in college, for example, swimming may be your passion—or maybe it was just a way to feed your overall passion for competition.

　　If you don't see patterns in your list, don't worry. Open yourself to one passion and you open the floodgates5 to many. That's what Shoshana Bennett did. She knew she had to do something positive with the grief and anger she felt after suffering from postpartum depression6. Bennett started off by offering support groups in her neighborhood for new moms. Soon individuals began requesting to talk to her privately and she decided to pursue a degree in clinical psychology. Now a psychotherapist, Bennett considers the natural progression that brought her to the work she loves as "nothing short of magical."

　　It can take a long time to figure out your work passions, but the search is worth it. Even a few hours a week will give you a good start.

　　Test your passions

　　Find ways to test your passions that are nonthreatening. If you love singing, maybe you could take a voice lesson. If leadership attracts you, offer to chair a committee at work. Internships7, part-time opportunities, and volunteering can also provide outlets for testing your passions. The important part is that you take some action. Action will help you do much better thinking than you could ever hope to do sitting still and weighing all the theoretical facts. Even action in the wrong direction is informative.

　　Sometimes taking action can just mean being aware of your career dreams and keeping yourself open to networking and other opportunities that can bring you closer to your goals. The more you explore your passions, the more your serendipity8 increases. Often your passion is right in front of you.

　　Passion vs. Workaholism9

　　If you are spending a lot of hours working, is it passion or workaholism that's driving you? Actually, if your work is motivated by guilt, other people's messages, or the desire to avoid doing something else, then it's workaholism. Other signs include feeling emotionally and physically drained at the end of the day and not having a good work/personal life balance.

　　Be aware, passion leads to pleasure. Workaholism leads to burnout. When you discover the work that fuels your passions, the resulting energy and fulfillment will tell you you've hit the mark.