Passion. The thing most of us are searching for but many of us never seem to find.

We search for it our whole lives. Regardless of age, we’re out there looking far and wide for our passion. For the thing that lights us on fire.

Whether you’re fresh out of high school and are feeling lost in the world, or you’re in your 40’s and tired of the day to day, having a passion helps make life more fun and exciting and it gives direction.

Why? Why is this mystical, magical thing so important to us?

It breaks up the mundaneness of life. If you have something you love working on, practicing, and taking part in, your life feels richer and fuller.

It challenges you. It pushes you. It inspires you. It excites you. It gives you a path to follow.

You feel victorious when you start seeing improvement and you feel ready to try again the next day when it doesn’t work out the way you wanted it to.

I recently read Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit. In her book, she talks about how people are grittier if they’re working on something they enjoy and find interesting. Working on their passion or their interest, made people persevere through ups and downs. It made them more resilient and able to push through the obstacles.

Without working on something they love and enjoy, the people Angela talked to for her book wouldn’t be nearly as gritty as they are. But their passion drives them to keep showing up.

The question is though, how do we actually discover what our passion is?

Read More: 49 Quotes to Inspire and Motivate You to Build Confidence

How do we find this illusive thing we’re on a quest to discover?

First things first, you need to find what you’re interested in.

Most people don’t get hit over their head with their passion. It starts as an inkling of an interest in something. You want to learn more about this activity or thing because you’re interested in it.

From there your passion grows.

So, this post isn’t so much about your finding passion as it is about finding what you’re interested in.

Keep reading to discover 5 easy ways to find your passion.

I am a firm believer that reading about other people’s struggles and how they overcame them to pursue their dreams is a huge motivator.

Whenever I finish reading a book about someone who battled through the challenges to reach their dreams, I feel energized and excited to get back to working on my own dreams.

You’ll discover while reading that most people don’t stumble upon their own passions until later in life.

Most of the time their passion finds them in unexpected places and unexpected times.

If you’re struggling to even get a glimpse into what your passion might, then reading books designed to help you is a great place to start.

When I was struggling with this, I read and gained a lot of value from these books:

1. Embrace Your Almost by Jordan Dooley
2. Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
3. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
4. Five Wishes by Gay Hendrix
5. Grit by Angela Duckworth

I read all these as audiobooks. They’re all narrated by the authors which I love because you can really hear their own passion in their voices.

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Read More: 11 Books that Build More Confidence and Keep You Motivated to Reach Your Goals

If there’s one thing from this list that I truly believe will help you find what you’re interested in and lead you to your passion, it’s journaling.

Writing, especially writing by hand, helps you cut through the noise and get out of your own head.

It allows you to focus and dive deeper into self-exploration.

Journaling with prompts is how I first discovered what I was interested in.

I love using prompts because it makes you more focused and in the moment. If you have a specific question you’re answering, you can dial in on that question and ignore everything else.

I just open my cute Paper Source notebook and let my pen show me the way.

If you want some journal prompts to help you get started, check out this post on 33 Journal Prompts to Find Your Passion.

Read More: Build Confidence this Summer by Challenging Yourself to Set One Fun, New Goal

Remember, finding your passion starts with discovering what you’re interested in.

A great way to find out if you’re interested in something is to take a class on it.

When I was first feeling lost in life and searching for my passion, I journaled about it. And after journaling, I realized I was interested in drawing.

So, I signed up for Skillshare and started taking courses like this one on illustrating.

I also took courses on Skillshare about digital art, animation, and watercolor illustration.

My journal entries were right. I loved it! I discovered I thoroughly enjoyed digital art more than painting. I’ve continued to take classes on Skillshare about digital art illustration.

What I love about Skillshare is that once you sign up for a monthly membership, you have access to thousands of classes on various topics.

So, even if you have no idea what you’re interested in and you want to take courses on several topics to find out if you like them or not, you can on Skillshare.

Plus, at $13.99 a month, it’s an inexpensive way to find your interest and gain skills in it until it evolves into your passion.

The one drawback for me is that you have to pay that $13.99 a month as a yearly payment. It can seem like a hefty fee right up front. So, I encourage you to try the 7-day free trial Skillshare offers to see if it’s the right learning platform for you before you pay the yearly fee.

*If you want to gain more confidence in just one week, subscribe to my newsletter to receive your FREE copy of the 7-Day Confidence Building Workbook*

Podcasts are such a fantastic resource for finding your passion because not only are they free, but they also cover a million different topics. There’s literally a podcast for everyone!

You can listen to them almost anywhere and anytime. So, at any moment you could discover something new you’re interested in.

If you already have an idea of what you’re interested in (fantastic!) find podcasts about that subject to see if you enjoy learning more about it.

However, if you’re still struggling to find something you’re interested in, I recommend listening to podcasts where people are interviewed about finding their passions.

Sometimes these people will be in fields of work, or running businesses, or working on projects that might never have occurred to you but now sound interesting!

I love these podcasts because the people they interview all have unique stories on how they found their passion and what their passion is:

1. How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy with Lizzie Smiley:

Even if you don’t want an Etsy store, this is a great podcast because everyone’s Etsy stores are completely different. They all create something unique to them and it’s fascinating to hear how they discovered their interests and turned them into businesses.

2. Side Hustle School with Chris Guillebeau:

This is another business podcast, but since it focuses solely on side hustles, Chris talks to people who started with an interest that turned into a passion and then became a side business. People on the show are so different and they all unique side hustles and interests.

3. Unleash Your Inner Creative with Lauren LoGrasso:

This podcast is for creative-centered people, but aren’t most passions creative in some way? Lauren interviews a variety of people with different creative pursuits from songwriting to visual artists. If you’re interested in being more creative, but not sure what area you’re most drawn to yet, check out this podcast.

Any of these podcasts are a great place to start when you have no idea what you’re interested in. Your passion doesn’t have to turn into a business, but it’s fascinating to hear how people discovered what they were drawn to and turned it into a passion.

Read More: 11 Easy Creative Hobbies Women Can Start Today to Boost Their Confidence

Talking to others is a great way to find your passion. Everyone has a unique story and unique interests.

If you already have an idea of what you’re interested in whether it’s baking or graphic design or playing guitar, find people who are working and growing these interests.

Find out what really goes into pursuing this interest. If after talking with them you decide this particular interest is not for you, that’s perfectly fine! Just move onto the next thing you’re interested in.

But if after talking with them you decide you want to pursue learning more about this topic ask them for advice on what your next steps should be.

You can find these people by joining Facebook groups, following people on Instagram or Pinterest and messaging them, reading their blogs and emailing them, or joining local meetups in person.

From my experience most people love talking about their interests and passions. They can’t wait for someone to ask them about it so they can share their knowledge.

If you don’t have any idea what you’re interested in, just start talking to people. Maybe when you’re at the dog park you could chat with other dog parents, or when you’re at your local coffee shop or bar, or at work you can ask coworkers or customers about their hobbies and interests.

Remember, finding your passion is not going to be like getting struck by lightning. First, you just need to find a hobby or topic that you have an inkling of an interest in.

From there continue to learn about it by taking a course on Skillshare, listening to podcasts on it, and talking to people about it.

Let me know in the comments what area of interest you’re going to explore first!