The Achievement Alchemist – Discovering Your Passion
By: Leigh St John

The Achievement Alchemist – Discovering Your Passion

“A man (or woman) is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” Bob Dylan

What if you could be doing anything in the world that you wanted to be doing… What would that be? If there were no limitations… If money was not an obstacle… If education was not an obstacle… If family obligations were not an obstacle… What would your life look like?

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

If you know your ‘passion’ you are among the very few.

“I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want.” Mark Twain

So, if you are among the many who know what you like, know what you don’t like, but are yet to actually discover your passion – that thing that drives you – where do you go from here?

For many people, the process of Discovering Your Passion is about more than simply looking at what you enjoy.

It covers elements such as:

• Explore your life’s purpose
• Gain new confidence in your own creative powers
• Discover the power of focus
• Clear the clutter in your life
• Ask better questions to get better answers
• Dissolve self-limiting thought patterns
• Turn your aspirations into reality

You can do it! All you have to do is take the journey. Ready..?

In this article, we will look at a couple of the very first steps in the process with a modified excerpt from “The Achievement Alchemist – Discovering Your Passion” book.
“When the heart is ignored or suppressed, the result is the same for the organization as it is for the individual: unrealised potential.” Richard Chang, ‘The Passion Plan at Work’

There Is No One Right Answer

So often we are taught to find THE answer. I suggest to you that there is often no ONE right answer – there may be several.

If you love teaching, travel, skydiving and writing, don’t think for a minute that you have to pick ONE right answer, ONE passion.

What if you could do them all?

What if you could travel the world teaching skydiving and writing about it for magazines?

As you progress through this journey, challenge yourself (and your partner if you are working with one) to not stop when you get one answer. Keep going. Come up with as many answers as you can. The first five or six may be good – and the seventh may be great!

“Do you remember how electrical currents and "unseen waves" were laughed at? The knowledge about man is still in its infancy.” Albert Einstein

The Answers Are In You

“The greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his heart.” Julien Green

For many years I have been using a derivation of what is known as the “Socratic Method” in the personal and professional development programs I have been conducting.

Based on the work of Socrates, the Socratic Method is using a series of questions in order to help a person or group discover their underlying thoughts, beliefs and knowledge on a subject. It also assists them to consider whether theirs is a valid point of view.

"I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.” Socrates

Rather than lecture to people or tell them what they should or shouldn’t do, I encourage active participation by involving them with questions that challenge their assumptions and stimulate active discussion and debate.

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” Frank Lloyd Wright

This provides an entertaining and thought-provoking environment while delivering a learning outcome - and more often than not, the members of the group are still discussing it days and even weeks later...

This is also the style I have chosen to use in the book.

“The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change.” Richard Bach

Your journey will be signposted with a variety of questions, challenges, activities and exercises, all geared toward you finding the answers within you.

“To the question of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution.” Joe Cordare

Working With A Partner

“Nothing average ever stood as a monument to progress. When progress is looking for a partner it doesn't turn to those who believe they are only average. It turns instead to those who are forever searching and striving to become the best they possibly can. If we seek the average level we cannot hope to achieve a high level of success.” A. Lou Vickery


I spent many years researching the benefits of what are called ‘peer’ programs – in other words, personal and professional development programs that are done with two people (peers) working through the program together and supporting each other along the way.

Although everyone is different and learns in different ways, I would suggest that you at least consider working with a partner.

The benefits are:

 You feel as though you are not alone
 You have someone with whom to bounce ideas
 You have someone to challenge you
 You have someone to talk with who understands (if they are going through the same process)

How To Work With A Partner

There are many ways that you and your partner could work through this book – or any other program – together. Here is just one process:

1. Each of you reads through the chapter separately
2. You get together in person, on the telephone, online – whatever means works best for you
3. You discuss your thoughts about the chapter in general
4. You discuss the questions and suggested actions, what they mean to you, what ideas you have and ask any questions you many have
5. You set a time to get together again to discuss your responses to the action items
6. Each of you then separately completes the questions and actions
7. You get together again to discuss your responses and to challenge and support one another.

Then you start the whole process over again for the next chapter.

“I believe that [everyone] is the keeper of a dream - and by tuning into one another's secret hopes, we can become better friends, better partners, better parents, and better lovers.” Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, June 2003

Consider:

 If you were to work with a partner, who would you choose?
 Why?
 Are you going to ask them?
 If not, why not?

Can One Person Make A Difference?

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Ghandi

People sometimes have amazingly large and seemingly unachievable dreams and goals and I am often asked whether one person really can make a difference.

I would like to share a story with you from Loren Eisley’s book, “The Star Thrower”. The story goes a little like this:-

A man who had been walking along a beach saw a boy throwing starfish into the ocean in an attempt to save them from the heat of the rising sun. The older man made a comment that, because of the number of starfish, the boy couldn’t possibly make a difference, to which the boy replied as he threw yet another starfish into the ocean and past the breaking waves, “It made a difference to that one.”

By the way, I would thoroughly recommend Eisley’s books. His work has a refreshingly different viewpoint on many of the things we often take for granted.

“You can make a difference with your everyday actions. Listen to the stories told around our planet, and you will hear this message over and over again.” Tony Ryan, Author of “The Ripple Effect”

Are You A Yebbit?

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” Leon J. Suenes

When asked about following or pursuing your dreams, goals and passions, have you said, “yeah, but there is this to take care of.”

“Yeah, but I have to look after such and such first.”
“Yeah, but I’ll do it when the children are grown.”
“Yeah, but it takes time that I just don’t have.”
Yeah, but – yeah, but – yebbit, yebbit, yebbit..!

“To be always intending to make a new and better life but never to find time to set about it is as...to put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day to the next until you're dead.” Og Mandino

 When have you been a part of the Yebbit Family?
 What were you trying to avoid? Why?

What Are You Waiting For?

“The future depends on what we do in the present.” Mahatma Gandhi

Many years ago I enrolled in a degree program and, because I allowed ‘life’ to get in the way, I ended up deferring and then, because I felt that it would take too long to achieve, I finally withdrew.

I had always thought about how long it would take, particularly part-time, to achieve that degree and it seemed like ‘forever’!

Some years later I moved house and in the unpacking discovered a box of old papers. In amongst those old papers were my original enrolment forms with the expected dates of completion.

You guessed it. The expected date of completion of that degree - that I stopped working toward because it would take too long - had already passed some months ago.

Had I continued on that path that seemed never-ending, I would have completed that particular journey, with all the experiences, knowledge and piece of paper that came with it.

Yes, things do get in the way, but only if you let them.

We all have the same amount of time in a day – what you do with yours is up to you.

 Are your problems more important than your dreams?
 Reflect on your answer to the above question when you look at how much time you spend on your problems as opposed to how much time you spend on fulfilling your dreams.

“Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems.” Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

As I mentioned at the outset, included in this article are simply some steps to get you started.

The process of discovering your passion includes a variety of elements – here is a list for you to consider…

• The Past Does Not Equal The Future
• How we learn
• What Is ‘Passion’?
• The Power Of Motivation
• Getting Ready - Clearing The Clutter
• Forgive Yourself
• Literally Clean Up Your Life
• Resolve ‘Old Business’
• Learn That “No” Can Be A Complete Sentence
• Take Care Of Your Needs
• Adjusting Attitudes
• Build Your Confidence And Self-Esteem
• We All Have Filters
• Why is it important to recognize our filters?
• Communicating with others
• You Control Your Emotions
• FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
• You Are An Amazing Individual
• How does believing that you are special help you to discover your passion?
• You Deserve The Very Best In Life
• You don’t let yourself want what you don’t think you can have.
• Who Are You?
• It’s Ok To Say, “I’m Good At This!”
• The Power of Focus & Self-Talk
• Every Conscious Action Is A Choice
• The Power Of Focus
• What Is Success?
• Your Perception of Yourself
• What Are Your Excuses?
• Gratitude
• Self-Sabotage
• Stop Blaming
• Fear of Success
• Learned Helplessness
• Victim Or Survivor
• Your Authentic Self
• The Power of Energy
• Reflection Time…
• What Do You Love?
• Discovering Your Passion
• Additional Questions
• Too Many Passions?
• Pulling It All Together
• What If I’m On the Wrong Track?
• Declaring Your Passion
• Inspiration From Others
• Role Models
• MasterMind Groups
• You As The Role Model
• Developing Certainty
• Certainty of Passion…
• Live As Though It Already Exists…
• The Secret To Getting What You Want
• How the Brain Works
• Habits
• Realizing You Have the Power
• Do it “Until”…
• Developing Your Goal Process
• Maybe the “how” is none of your business?
• Taking Action!
• Trying Before You Buy
• Jumping Right In
• No such thing as failure
• Where are you spending your time?
• Be Prepared For Success!
• How do you know when you have found your Passion?

I look forward to hearing from you if you would like to discuss your path to discovering your passion!

Kind regards

Leigh St John
Australian Presenter & Author of “The Achievement Alchemist – Discovering Your Passion”

http://www.LeighStJohn.com

The ABC referred to her as an "Achievement Guru” and Leigh St John ( www.LeighStJohn.com ) is a living example of the Aussie Spirit of relaxed achievement - and is definitely not your ordinary 'motivational speaker'!

Leigh has written several books, hundreds of articles and has a client list that reads like a ‘who’s who’ of some of the world’s top companies. A member of Mensa and a life-long student of psychology and what makes people ’tick’, Leigh uses her experience, profile and knowledge to assist people and organizations to realize their full potential!

When you meet Leigh you will understand the meaning of the word, "passion". Leigh lives and breathes it with an enthusiasm that is contagious!

Leigh’s informative, entertaining and thought-provoking sessions on leadership, personal and professional development are loaded with inspiration, powerful strategies and proven ideas that you can apply immediately to help you to realize your full potential!