Last updated on October 4th, 2023 at 08:57 pm
Are you lost on how to find or know what is your big dream? Or do you find yourself questioning your dream choice? Do you feel like your big dream compass is broken?
I shared a Passion Test to help you lost dreaming souls out there to explore what once made you happy while you were growing up.
I walked readers through a way to look at the first 12 years of life for the play that resonates with one’s soul. It’s everything from bicycling to skateboarding to dancing and writing in a diary. It’s whatever you loved getting lost in and hated giving up when you had to sit down for dinner or do your chores.
But for some of you, the Passion Test process can bring up childhood traumas instead of blissful reminders of time spent experiencing the joy of play.
A few readers told me, “I don’t remember much of my childhood. It wasn’t happy.” They block any memory that is part of their childhood. It’s too painful. One reader had her favorite doll thrown away because a parent thought she was “too old to play with dolls.” It was a traumatic experience for her. She loved her doll with every fiber of her being.
The memory is still holding her adult joy hostage and preventing her from finding her passion. I can only imagine if an object that gave me precious joy as a child was abruptly removed from my life and disposed of as if it meant nothing. Imagine after that experience how scary it would be to consider looking at what gives you joy from your childhood. What if the same thing happens again–but in a different (bad) way now that you are an adult?
What if exploring your past is even more painful this time?
It is better to live a black-and-white existence than risk discovering a rainbow and having it destroyed by people you trust. I have a theory about those of us on the dreamer’s journey later in life. I believe that some type of trauma or heartache stopped us from our original dream journey. Childhood play is so important. Play is the exploration that assists us in building skills that take us successfully into our adult lives.
Play shapes what we love to do. Play is a simmering passion. I am sure you had “those friends” too who knew exactly what they wanted to do with their life from the time they were four years old. Then they went out and accomplished it.
Yeah. Forget them.
However, I would argue that they probably grew up in an environment that supported their play and dreams. No one told them, “Oh hush. That’s crazy!” or “Stop playing with that thing. You are too old for that!” or “You need to do XYZ and forget about that silly XYZ.”
Their dream compass stayed intact, guiding them to the future of their dreams.
But when your playful joy gets interrupted because of dysfunction, trauma, or death (maybe even all three), your dream compass stops working, and you lose your bearings. You suddenly grow up lost–forever searching for the right place to rest your weary hearts.
But nothing ever seems to fit right.
We pick futures to please our parents or partners, take the “responsible” path to play it safe, or make choices based on our need to get out of certain situations. We feel like we don’t have control over our lives. We feel powerless and stuck. We are someone else’s puppet, except we don’t know who exactly is the puppet master.
One day, you wake up unable to continue to ignore the nagging, still, soft voice that whispers in your ear to do more of what you love. And the nagging has been growing louder and louder for some time–like waves crashing against your heart until you stop to search in frustration for a book, a class, or a site like 8WomenDream to help you.
Then you think,
“OK. NOW what am I supposed to do?”
You have to become your own detective. You have to let the little girl in you know that she is safe and that you are in charge. You tell her that you are going to take her on a journey and ask her for her feedback.
Your grand adventure, should you choose to take it, is to explore the question:
What would it take to make me happy?
I want you to do this for at least a week–the longer, the better–a month would be great. Allow yourself plenty of time to collect as many answers as possible. The more answers you get, the more patterns will emerge.
Use a dream notebook or the Notes app on your phone and explore the following 8 questions:
1. If I had to find you in a bookstore, what section would you be in, and what would you read?
2. Write down the top 10 things you love to do–where time seems to disappear, and you get lost in it. Make sure these items are not just something you are good at but things that give you energy when you are done.
You can be good at something that totally drains you, and I don’t want you to confuse it with something you love doing. Only write down things you find that give you energy. It doesn’t matter what it is. It could even be driving to Starbucks Coffee in the morning–write it down.
3. Write down what makes you smile or laugh every single day. A child says something funny to a parent, and you overhear it and smile–write it down! If you aren’t smiling or laughing, then you need to explore through YouTube, look for what makes you smile, and write that down.
4. What movies do you love? What TV shows do you always watch? Write them down.
5. Buy five magazines you would love to read, or go to a bookstore and pick up your five favorite magazines (you can also do this by going to Amazon or using the Internet). What are they? Why do you like them? Print out the photos you like or cut out the pictures that give you a siege of excitement. Tear out the page. Why bother with scissors? Write down why you like those images and place the images in your dream jar/box/bag.
6. What do you Love to eat? Write down the foods you enjoy, even broccoli — write down every food that makes you smile and gives you the energy to see if a pattern is forming. Is there a particular culture that you lean toward?
7. Ask your friends (who are positive) and any family (who are supportive) what they think you are good at. You may be surprised how many tell you the same answer. Do not ask anyone who has failed you in the past or crushed your hopes. Don’t tell the naysayers in your life that you are on this journey. Protect your heart.
8. What is the pattern forming in your choices? (Adventure, freedom, organization, change, creating…?) Do they reveal something where the idea of doing it scares you?
Don’t push for your dream answer. Think of this detective work as a “Joy Quest,” and quests take time. It’s a journey. Don’t judge the process. Look for the patterns in your choices. Don’t force it. Suddenly, one day, you will have a flash of insight, and memories will come flooding back to you, reminding you of who you were before your dream compass stopped working.
You’ll remember what you once loved doing. It’s been there with you all of this time. You’ll recognize it when you see it. You’ll feel that childhood excitement mixed with a little fear, and you’ll know immediately that your dream inner compass has been fixed.
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Catherine Hughes is an accomplished magazine columnist, content creator, and published writer with a background as an award-winning mom blogger. She partners with companies to create captivating web content and social media stories and writes compelling human interest pieces for both small and large print publications. Her writing, which celebrates the resilience and achievements of Northern California’s residents, is featured in several magazines. Beyond her professional life, Catherine is passionate about motherhood, her son, close friendships, rugby, and her love for animals.
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