I once attended a retreat on how to live with passion and fulfill ones lifes work. The facilitator posed the question, If money was not an issue, yet you had to work full-time, what would you do? Answering this question was a turning point for me. Now - years later - I am doing much of what came up in my answer.

How would you answer this question? Ask yourself, What am I good at? What do my friends say I am good at? What do I enjoy and feel passionate about? What do I think is important? The key to your happiness may well be held in the answers.

The answers may not provide you with something you would do on a full-time basis, but it is a wonderful way to discover what will make your life more complete. The willingness to acknowledge and act on the answers may well create the opportunity to live with more passion and joy than you ever thought possible.

In the answers lie your dreams. They will provide you with a road map of where you can put your energy in order to move closer to a more fulfilling and balanced life. Perhaps for you the answers will be an indication of where you can volunteer your time. Living with passion and joy means we dont have to have a monetary gain for everything we do. Many a career has been launched through the experiences gained from volunteer efforts.

Far too many people have dreams they have given up on. We often blame others or outside circumstances for the fact we are not accomplishing all we desire. Granted, there may be some outside circumstances that create real limitations. However, in many cases we may be using imagined limitations as an excuse to not move forward. It can be easier to blame other people and situations as the reason we have not achieved our potential than to walk through the fear of the unknown.

Limitations appear in many ways. Experience. Money. Time. Education. You name it, it is bound to be there. One of the greatest limitations is that of the mind. Determine which obstacles are real and which ones are imagined. Which excuses have been used over and over so that you will not have to face the fear of the unknown? Once you identify your real and imagined limitations, you will be able to work with them and move forward.

Granted, there is a lot that can dampen our spirits if we allow it. However, there are many opportunities to achieve your dreams if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone, put effort into your vision and move forward little by little.

In order to break through your boundaries you must first realize what they are. Knowing what they are allows you to take action. Look for others who may have had similar roadblocks. Find out what they did to move forward. In their strategy may be your formula for success.

Are you secretly wishing you would do something with your life other than what you are doing, but fear holds you back? If you ask most people what their greatest regret is, more times than not they will say it is what they didnt do rather than what they did.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to others and ourselves is to unlock the talents we have been blessed with and to have the courage to use them. Ask yourself, How well do I use my gifts to contribute to the well-being of myself and others?

Will your life be filled with regrets or will it be filled with passion?

Kathleen Gage

Bold, Daring and Inspirational describes the type of speaker you get when you bring Kathleen Gage on board for your next conference or in-house training workshop. Kathleen has a unique and creative approach to helping others understand the power of beliefs, thoughts and actions that promote the marketing mindset. As a marketing, promotions and success author, Kathleen Gage is a corporate trainer and keynote presenter for conferences and conventions. She is a highly results oriented marketing business advisor who designs marketing and promotions programs designed to help you achieve the results you desire in ways you may not have imagined. If you are serious about the results you desire let Kathleen Gage help you achieve your marketing, promotions and sales goals Over the last 25 years, Kathleen Gage has received numerous business awards including the 1995-1996 and 1999-2000 National Speakers Association Utah Chapter Speaker of the Year, 1999-2000 Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Business Women's Forum Achievement award for business innovation, The Leadership and Communications 2000 Award for Toastmasters International, and the Giant Step Award for 2004 from the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce for business innovation and success. Kathleen is a marketing columnist for the Enterprise newspaper, one of Utah’s most highly respected business publications and a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee for the Salt Lake Tribune, one of Utah’s most widely read daily newspapers. She has also contributes marketing, promotions and sales articles to several business publications and has hosted a weekly talk-radio broadcast.

Kathleen is the author of “101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door,” “Message of Hope, Inspirational Thoughts for Uncertain Times” and “Workplace Miracles, Inspiring Stories and Thoughts of Possibility.” She is also the author of the multimedia program entitled “Street Smarts Marketing and Promotions: Success Strategies for Marketing a Business on a Limited Budget” and “Earn More Than Ever Before, Marketing and Promotions Success Strategies for Today’s Real Estate Professional.” Kathleen has traveled throughout the United States, Canada and Europe sharing her message.