Aimee Gallo is a Licensed Primary Sports Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Health Counselor helping people lead happier, healthier lives through nutrition, fitness, and uncovering abundant joy. She coaches in person in San Diego and nationwide by phone. Her mission is to provide unparalleled support in helping others live the best life they can imagine!  She’s our guest blogger for March, and can be reached at www.vibrancenutrition.com.   Thanks Aimee, and Happy Passioneering!

Staying Motivated to Live Your Passion

By Aimee Gallo

Living your passion can be a full-time job. Sometimes it requires significant amounts of overtime, and for most of us there is no time-and-a-half or honorary plaque to put on the wall. When the rewards for our work seem far away the motivation to continue can weaken. 

My personal ups and downs along the way have allowed me to gather a fine set of motivational tools. These re-invigorate and reinspire me when my energy and stamina are faltering:

1)      Personal Inventory: Do I need to pull the radical self-care card? Have I forgotten myself in all this? If my cup isn’t full, I cannot be the support and encouragement my clients count on. The first thing is to take a moment and self-reflect on what I am feeling and what I need. It may be as simple as extra sleep or emotional support from a friend or it may be something more monumental – like reorganizing my business to accommodate who I am as a person now versus when I started. Sometimes the answers come right away and sometimes I need to sit and allow them to percolate. But first, first we must ask the question. To assist with this, I keep a list of things that invigorate me that I can refer to when I get overwhelmed. Journaling and running also release stuck mental blocks and allow space for my creative brain to find solutions.

2)      I look to my own sources of inspiration to find the drive to continue. Who refused to give up? Abraham Lincoln, Colonel Sanders, my father, Oprah Winfrey, Mohandas Gandhi…read a biography, talk to someone in the field you admire, or consider the alternative – giving up your dreams (unthinkable!) and let this pull you up.

3)      Take a trip down memory lane: What have you already weathered? How was it worth it? How did you feel when you first began? What initially inspired you? Your own story can serve as a powerful motivator. As the author, you determine which direction the story now takes and how it unfolds. What will you choose?

4)      Watch your Mouth: How is your self-talk? When you say, “I can’t do this” or “This is too much” you do not give your infinitely creative subconscious permission to find an answer. Switch your mentality to “How can I make this work?” “What is it that inspires me?” and brainstorm with others as needed for answers.

It’s perfectly normal to have your passion and inspiration wax and wane; none of us can be 100% all the time! When you find yourself struggling, reach both internally and externally for support and motivation to continue living your dreams. It’s not how you do on any given day (or week, or month…) but how authentic and true you are over the journey of your life. May your travels be exciting, rewarding, and abundant!

Aimee Gallo is a Passioneer® inspired by forests, glitter, and how her own body functions. She coaches others on living the best life they can imagine for themselves through food, exercise, and radical self care. She loves to share stories of others’ successes as tools to motivate. To reach her, visit www.vibrancenutrition.com or call (206) 227-1231

They say that when you do what you love, the rest follows.  Our hundreds of interviews with those who have leaped fully and prosperously into their passions (aka “Passioneers”) attest to this quote.  Each week, we summarize the insights and wisdom of these Passioneers into tips, quotes, and affirmations, that you can receive weekly…all spam-free, simple and self-empowering. 

If you or someone you know would like these weekly tips, please sign up via this Constant Contact link or by emailing us at passioneers AT yahoo.com.  Below is our fifth Passioneering Tip for 2010, and we’ll be sharing these every week to subscribers on Tuesday mornings.  Happy Passioneering!

Passioneering Tip #5

 …It is not as scary as it appears. You’ll plan, but at some point you need to make a leap and have faith in yourself and your abilities to make your dreams come true. I always felt that if someone else did it, I can do it too.

 ~Passioneer Brian Peters

Founder, NoDebtTravel.com

Quote

A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

~ G. Patton

Affirmation

This week, I make time to plan my upcoming steps…AND I keep taking the necessary leaps, boldly and courageously.

We recently interviewed Beth Shaw, Founder and President of YogaFit Training Systems, the leader in Mind Body Education and largest training school for yoga instructors in North America.  An innovative educator, author and entrepreneur, Beth Shaw has more than 30 DVD’s and CD’s on the market, is internationally recognized as the premiere yoga trainer in the fitness industry and most recently has launched YogaFlair, a couture inspired line of eco-friendly, US manufactured fitness apparel.  Ms. Shaw is also known for her dedication to community service, which includes extensive animal rights advocacy and founding of the nonprofit organization Visionary Women in Fitness, which awards grants and scholarships to women in need.

Below is her show in archive.  Thanks Beth and Happy Passioneering!

We interviewed Rocky Reichman, founder of LiteraryMagic.com, on our Blog Talk Radio show, on January 6, 2010.  He’s a brilliant young man, Renegade CEO (thanks to Shonika Proctor)  who’s received many accolades in the literary community, including from William Safire!

His interview follows below:

SO: What’s Your Definition of “Passion”?

Passion is something that’s more than just an interest. It’s something that fuels you and makes you willing to dedicate hours of effort, a day or even your entire life to.

SO: What Passions Are You Expressing?

My biggest passion is writing.  I first started to express that by writing novels. When I was 12, I wrote my first novel, when I read the Magician’s Apprentice.  That took about three years.  …My second book took three days.  One January vacation, for Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, I sat down from 8am to 11 at night and just wrote, wrote, and wrote, and got that book out.  I decided to publish my own online literary magazine, Literary Magic.  I also got into etymology, which is the study of the roots and history of words. 

SO: So Has This Been in Your Heart and Your Skill Set?

Through Literary Magic, I’ve really come into contact with amazing people.  Writers and editors around the world.  I’ve not only learned about these people, but also how to interact:  customer service, marketing.   I’ve written some short stories, some columns on literary sites.  Once I discovered Twitter and everything, I met Shonika Prcotr, who has been very helpful to me.  William Safire contacted me, and he called me a “word maven”.  A few months after that, McCraw Hill contacted me for an internship.  That gave me even more opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship and the world of business.

SO: What Are the Challenges that You Have Face and How Have You Move Through Them?

With Literary Magic, it’s been the business model, and building readership.  As a writer, writers love their works, and put all of this effort into their creation.  So if an editor wants to make a change, sometimes that writer is not always open to that change.  So definitely phrasing, giving, learning to give criticism in as positive a manner as possible, that’s always been a challenge.  In my personal life, when I had some family losses, that was definitely a challenge; however they’ve led me to build up resilence and create new projects from that.  When my father passed…he used to tell us these stories.   …So one day we decided to type them up, and we now have it in the published version.

SO: What Else Would You Say to Somebody Who Is Making the Leap?

No matter what, you have to get it out.  Don’t let anyone tell you that what you have to say isn’t worth anything.  It’s always worth anything.  First of all, to you it’s worth something.  And also to your friends and family.  And likely the information or advice or even just the message that you have to share can radiate and help people anywhere.

SO: What Would You Say to Someone Who Doesn’t Know What Their Passion Is?

I think you have to try different thing out.  Read a lot of fiction, even if you don’t want to be a writer, because fiction isn’t just entertaining.  It teaches us about life.  A lot of people think “I’m a non-fiction person, I only read to get information.”  Fiction can open us up to different worlds and possibilities.  Another idea is to go to a college website and look at all of the different subjects, and you really get a feel for what you can do.  Whether it’s writing or biology or if you want to be a doctor or a scientist or law enforcement.  There are so many possibilities.  I was lucky enough to once I read that book Magician’s Apprentice, I knew I wanted to write and kept doing it.  Never wall yourself in.  Of course you want to focus, but never say “I have my passion, and this is all I want to do.”  Always be open to new experiences.  Try something that you normally wouldn’t be exposed to. And then see what happens.

SO: How Have You Stayed Focused?

I like to write a lot of stuff down, write plans, and goals.  I always make sure that on one day, if there’s only time to do one thing, then I get that thing done.  And then I have a task list…if I end up having surplus space then I can do this or that, but I always have one thing that I know must get done that day.   Another thing, which isn’t totally going off focus, but if something comes in, like a quick email…something under 4 minutes, I will try to do it right then.  Otherwise those things just pile up.  Then it can ruin your schedule later in the week. 

I didn’t read Getting Things Done, but I did read an article by the same article that shared the same topic.  I learned a lot about productivity and time management from there.

SO:   When I Say “Do What You Love and the Rest Follows,” Would You Agree?

For everyone I have interviewed, this has been one of the underlying tips that they have all advised:  “That you have to find a way to do what you love and get paid for it.”  If you first don’t succeed, you can always try again.  You can even have a job and make sure that you do your passion on the side.  Like if you’re a lawyer or doctor, then you still have time to write novels on the side.  I know some people at McGraw Hill that works crazy hours and are writing fantasy novels on the side.

SO:  What About Prosperity, the Money Aspect of Doing What You Love?

I think doing what you love, you don’t need to make money at it.  You’re doing it because you like it.  You’re not doing it because you want to make money.  Of course, one of your end goals might be to make money from it.  If you can, then that will ultimately give you more time to focus on your passion, and not to worry about other ways to make money or retirement or college savings. 

Don’t think that in order to be an author to have a chance you have to quit your job and dedicate your entire to writing.  Even if you do get your work published, there are lots of writers out there.  For all the ones that are best-sellers that can take off the day, there are many more writers that have to have other jobs, who might not want to sit writing all day.  You can get a job, pay the bills and work on the side. Plan it out.  Write an hour a day.  Write five pages a day.  If you do the calculations, it won’t take too long to get your book out, maybe a few months.

Write or brainstorm some of it now.  Right after this interview ends.  If you want to write a book and haven’t had the time to do it.  Stop what you’re doing and take five minutes to brainstorm what it is. Maybe even write a sample paragraph or a log line – a line about what your book will cover. Just jump right into it.

Thanks Rocky and Happy Passioneering!

We have been asking Passioneers(tm) about their definition how of “Passion.”   The answers are very unique, and yet you can see common themes of heart, connection, and giving.  Please send us your definition!

“Passion is more than fun.  It’s more than just an interest. I think it’s something that speaks to your values and to your gut.  Something that really propels you forward.  For myself, I’m passionate about all things career.”  Carol Ceniza-Levine, Founder of Six-Figure Start

“Doing something that you love, and loving what you’re doing when you’re doing it!” Beverly Flaxington, Author, Coach, Consultant, Creator of Understanding Other People

“A passion is an enthusiastic interest in anything.  Somebody who follows their passion is able to spend their days doing what they love most.”  Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, Child Obesity Expert and Creator of www.DrWeigh.com.

“That which you believe in to your toes whose pursuit gives your life purpose, meaning and fulfillment; something, that once you find it, to live without it, would be to not live at all.”  Robyn O’Brien, Founder of AllergyKids. 

“I believe if you’re living a vision, if something is revealed to you that is scary yet exciting and you’re pursuing and going after it, you’re living a passionate life. It doesn’t make any difference what it is.  It’s that something that you caught from Spirit that is uniquely yours and also could be someone else’s.  You caught it and are taking it by the reins and are riding it, however it takes you and wherever it takes you.”   Rev. Michael Torphy, Senior Minister, Center for Spiritual Living Fresno, www.cslfresno.org

“I think of drive, of motivation, really putting my heart into something.  Throughout business and life, I’ve had a passion for what I do.  I’ve had a love. You can tell and you can see it in my eyes. It’s filled with love and is something I believe in.  Love, drive, focus, and determination.”      Keith J. Davis, Jr., Renegade CEO, Author, Entprepreneur, www.keithjdavisjr.com

“That thing, that essence that animates me, that makes me smile, and makes my heart and my soul smile.” Ellen Whitehurst, CEO of The Empowered Life, www.ellenwhitehurst.com

“It’s something that is so deeply rooted in your soul and in your heart that you have to do it.  It’s something that is so near and dear to you, that you feel it, you have to go after it. Your life’s not complete unless you really go for it…”     Jasmine Graham, Founder of Pace 4 Success, www.pace4success.com

“Aligning my everyday activities and my intentions with peace, ease, joy, love, and fruitfulness. I want to know that my passion is also growing fruit. …in a nutshell, it’s living my light, and understanding what my light is.”  Elisabeth Manning, Founder of Conscious Conception, www.consciousconception.net

“Something that keeps you really inspired, that doesn’t’ really feel like work; keeps you in a high vibratory state; gets your juices flowing   Feels like bliss You just don’t think about it, you just do it.”  Elisa Goodman, Founder of Curmudgeon Cards (www.curmudgeoncards.com)

“Passion is just listening to your heart and not intellectualizing too much.  Go with what you really  feel called to.  Passion really comes from a deep part of your core of your heart: the motivation for who you are.  It can range from being a world class flutist to caring about keeping your plot of a garden organic and sustainable.  To me, there’s nothing too small to be passionate about. ” Pamela Hawley, founder and CEO of UniversalGiving^(tm) (www.UniversalGiving.org)

“Something that you do or strive for that you don’t do for recognition (monetary success or social recognition) and something that you won’t let anything else stand in the way of your doing.” Sam Schmidt, founder of Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (www.samschmidt.org)

“The fire in your soul that propels you.  For me, passion – I almost think of it as an assignment from the Universe.   It’s your path.  People come to me for spiritual counseling looking for what they’re supposed to be doing in this life. They know or at least feel that they’re here for a purpose, but they have never connected with it.  That’s the passion.”  Mama Donna Henes, an Urban Shaman (http://www.donnahenes.net/)

“That which takes you down the path and keeps you putting one foot in front of the other.  It makes you stay on the path no matter what.   I’ve certainly had a lot of distractions along my path.  But if you stay on the path, wherever it leads, that is your passion.”  Toni McSorley, Ph.D. 8^th Dan, Art of the Samurai, (www.wayoftheopendoor.com)

“Passion is really the pursuit of your authentic self.  By that I mean, it’s daring to go through a continual sense of discovery with a sense of purpose that illuminates you life, and in turn, it’s what gives your life meaning. ” Jan Wellborn, Co-Founder of Market Arts Creative (www.marketartscreative.com)

“What makes you smile; what gives you energy what gives you bounce in your step; what gets you out of bed in the morning; what makes you miserable if you don’t have it.” Bailey Earith, founder of Bailey Fiber Art Studio (www.baileyfiberart.com)

“I’ve discovered that throughout my life, I learned what passion was from my mother, a holocaust survivor.  I didn’t know what that meant until I was old enough to fully understand what she endured.   She instilled in me this unbelievable positive life force.  She saw the good in everyone, she took risks, she wanted to make sure that she was always helpful, she was protective of her children…I grew up with the feeling that I needed to go after what I felt was important to me and that nothing was impossible if you worked hard.   I always hold that feeling close to me as I reach out to help others.   June Salin, founder of Mandoob and children’s author (www.manadoob.com)

“It’s hard to put into words.  It’s something that’s so strong underneath your skin, vocalizing it can be difficult.  The drive and the excitement, the  two really need to be together.  To fulfill your soul’s longing.”   Aimee Gallo, nutrition coach and counselor (www.vibrancenutrition.com)

“Finding out what truly inspires you and really makes you feel good about your self.”  Sarah Shaw, Entreprenette (www.entreprenette.com)

“Something, whether it’s  a subject or politics or a person, that deep in your heart really matters to you. It’s a driver and a motivating force.  Energy that fuels and empowers you.  Worth any risk.”  Michele Harris, founder of Smarti Solutions and handbag designer (www.smartisolutions.com and www.savorthesuccess.com)