Soul practices: Reclaiming our passion

'There is no passion to be found in playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

Nelson Mandela

In his book, ‘Beyond Religion,‘ psychologist David Elkins tells us of his struggle to reclaim his passion as a writer. While he enjoyed writing as a child, he was brought up in an isolated rural area of America where there was little opportunity to learn the craft of writing or to develop his gift. And so it remained largely neglected until he was nearly fifty. Everything changed, however, when he came across these words in Rumi’s poem, ‘Say Yes Quickly’:

‘Inside you there’s an artist

you don’t know about…  Is what I say true? Say yes quickly,

if you know, if you’ve known it

from the beginning of the universe’.

He wept as he realised that it had taken him so many years to come to recognise the writer in himself. He speaks of his fear that that it was too late to begin again, that his body might be too old to allow him to pursue this new dream with the passion it deserved. But he faced down those fears and began to write. After a time, he would sometimes find the courage to call himself a writer. Doing so would often bring with it feelings of embarrassment as if he did not deserve to use such a title. But it would also bring with it a celebration of his home-coming to a previously unlived part of himself.

For Elkins, the process of reclaiming his passion for writing in later life was triggered by his encounter with Rumi's poem. For many of us, however, there is no such flash of insight and it may take many months of reflecting and exploring before we discover what it is that truly fires us. In order to do so, we may need to be prepared to experiment, to try out new things that interest us. And we may need to be open to the unexpected for what we learn about ourselves along the way may take us by surprise.

Reflecting on our experience

Sometimes, reflecting on our life experience can help us to identify what we are passionate about. Spend some time reflecting on each of the following questions in turn and record your answers to them somewhere where you can easily revisit them:

What did you love doing as a child before the expectations and demands of familly life or of wider society became an obstacle? What captured your interest and attention? What did you spend much of your free time doing?

What energised you as a child? What brought you the greatest pleasure and joy? If it was impossible for you to embrace what you felt drawn to do as child, what did you long to do? What did you dream of doing?

What activities make your heart sing at this point in your life?

What activities do you engage in now that energise rather than drain you? What topics of conversation animate you? What activities can you become completely immersed in to the point that you lose track of time?

What activities do you engage in now that feel purposeful, that give your life meaning?

Experimenting with new experiences

If this process of reflection does not bring you the answers you seek, be prepared to experiment, to try out new experiences, to engage in activities that interest you or draw your attention. Be curious and adventurous without pressurising yourself to commit to what you have chosen. Our passion is normally closely aligned with our natural abilities so give yourself enough time to discover whether you have the potential to develop any new skills you will need. And finally, trust your deeper self to know when you have found what you were looking for.

'Passion is energy. Feel the power of doing what excites you.'

Oprah Winfrey

©Copyright Kaitlyn Steele 2026

Kaitlyn Steele

www.insearchofsoul.co.uk

kaitlynsteele16@gmail.com