This month at Kids Yoga Stories, I focused on Tapas.
Tapas is one of the personal disciplines (Niyamas) along the path of yoga. It could be translated as being self disciplined and courageous to follow one’s true Passion. In the Spirit of Yoga by Cat de Rham & Michelle Gill, Tapas is defined as “a way of expressing the passion in your heart.”
15 ways to live the life you are meant to, by finding and following your true Passion:
Be Clear. Be clear about your passion. Follow what lights you up.
Simplify. List the three most important things in your life. Do that, only.
Identify your Strengths. Build on your skills and talents. Forget trying to improve your weaknesses. Ask 10 friends/family what your best qualities are. Embrace.
Be Focused. Be singly focused and disciplined. Again, clarity is power.
Build your Community. Set up regular communication with your Creative and Accountability Partners. Ask for help. Share. Tell your friends and family about your passion.
Practice, practice, practice. Some people believe it takes 10,000 hours or 10 years to become an expert. Keep going.
Make Time and Space. Take time in your schedule to practice your passion. Make room to do what you love every day.
Take a Sabbatical. Take time off. Breathe. Reflect. Be. Watch this TED video on The Power of Time Off.
Stop, listen and learn. Be still, listen to your mind, body and spirit. Listen for the fire in your belly.
Be courageous and confident. Be bold, take risks, make mistakes, learn, and move on.
Have fun. Bring joy into your life daily and surround yourself with positive, like-minded people.
Be creative. Carve your own path. Be unique, different, and creative.
Be intentional. Set your own goals. Be clear about what you want to get out of your life.
Be open to ups and downs. View breakdowns and upsets as opportunities for growth. Learn the lesson and keep going.
Calm your mind. Yes, your mind will tell you a hundred reasons why you ‘shouldn’t’ or you ‘can’t’ follow your true Passion. Allow those negative thoughts to come in, and then let them go. Talk to someone. Meditate. Go for a walk. Carry on.
Speak your Passion. Tell everyone you meet about what you love doing. Total strangers will give you interesting ideas that you hadn’t thought of before or connect you to other cool people or resources. Your friends and family are your champions.
What is your Passion? How can you make it a priority in your life? How can you do what you love and earn a living doing it?
Imagine a world where everyone was fulfilling their gifts and connecting to each other in an authentic, enthusiastic, and passionate way. I can dream … can you?
Now, live your passion. Teach at least one child to live their passion. And hopefully we’ll get closer to living the lives we were meant to live. Wouldn’t that be cool?
My passion is to bring happiness, health, and education to children through the Kids Yoga Stories resources. Thank you for reading and supporting my Passion Journey.
Kids Yoga Stories books shown on display at Kushala Yoga in Vancouver, Canada (above).
Share with your friends, family, and colleagues. Connect with us on Facebook. Sign up for the KYS Newsletter (it’s free!) on the right tool bar. May you live the life you want.
Giselle
Kids Yoga Stories
www.kidsyogastories.com