Love What You Love
by Starcat
We are all born with particular preferences and passions, and we develop new ones throughout our lifetimes. Some of these passions are valued by our culture, while others are seen as frivolous or even dangerous. You may have been discouraged from pursuing some of your dreams, or guided in a different direction. Now that you’re finding out who you are deep inside, your attention will be pulled back towards some of your early callings, and led forward in brand-new directions.
Your preferences and passions are clues along the path to your ideal life. You came here to this life for some purpose – or for several purposes! Uncovering them is a delightful part of the journey you are walking. When you’re following the path of self-love, you invite yourself to go wherever your heart leads you. It doesn’t matter what society thinks of your passion to turn your lawn into an edible food forest, or to open a used bookstore with a cafe. If your passions speak to you, listen, and let yourself be led toward them.
Honor your preferences, even when they don’t seem to make sense, or when they change from week to week. Let your intuition be your guide. Just because you are intrigued by learning one thing doesn’t mean you’ll be locked into it for the rest of your life. An interest in historic buildings could lead you in any number of directions, from an internship with an architect to writing historical fiction to painting pictures of aging villages, and beyond. Or it could just be a passing interest that is satisfied with a few road trips to museums.
Be excited about uncovering these clues to who you are becoming. If you don’t have time or inclination to pursue a particular interest, set it aside for future study. Recently, during a particularly busy time, I kept noticing articles about sacred geometry and symbols. I opened a file on my computer where I could stash the links to further information, and ideas that had occurred to me when I encountered the concept. That way I’m able to return to it at my leisure, and find out what messages this new fascination has for me.
As you uncover more layers of who you are, you’ll also find out who you’re not. Some of your previous interests might fade away, and it’s okay to let them go. With your new expansion, one challenge could be that you simply won’t have enough physical time for everything you want to do! Relax into it. It’s a happy problem. You have so much enthusiasm for life and its offerings that you wish you could have more hours in the day. But remember, you are an eternal being. Your spirit will guide you in the directions that bring you the most joy and fulfillment. All you have to do is stay open to the moment and be connected with your inner source.
– Excerpted from Cultivating Self-Love: Your Path to Wholeness by Nikki Starcat Shields. If you’re ready to read more, the full-length e-book is available in our Shop, on Amazon, and onSmashwords.