What Will Your Passion Make of You ?

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes if happen”.       

                                                                                                                                                                                  Frank Lloyd Wright

Having done extensive research into life in France, over five years ago I moved from UK to Brittany to realise a dream.  

I am passionate about offering counselling to the expat community.    It is very difficult to express inner emotions through a language other than your mother tongue and so I felt that maybe my skills could be put to good use and would also earn me a living.

So, here I am in Brittany in mid-winter.     It’s dark.     Daylight doesn’t show its face until 9 am these mornings and it’s growing colder and is currently torrentially wet.     Unlike UK, Brittany closes during the winter months, activities and attractions are no longer open and those of us who live here become reliant on our own inner resources to keep us sane.     As the darkness and inactivity close in it’s all too easy to feel that we are meant to shut ourselves away and hibernate until light and warmth return in Spring.    Yet, I am feeling energised and motivated.     So, I asked myself just what is different from some of the previous dark winters in Brittany ?

As I pondered on my feelings I realised that I feel quite settled here now, a part of the community.    I have succeeded in overcoming the trials and tribulations inherent in living within a different culture and learning to speak a different language.

There were many times over the past five years when I felt isolated and alone.      There were many times when I needed to stand up for my rights, without sufficient language skills to do so.     Many times I fell foul of the system simply because, as a foreigner, I lacked a depth of understanding of it.     The times I wondered just what I had done to myself were numerous and sometimes the dream felt like more of a nightmare.     Knowing that we can choose can make a huge difference in how a problem is subsequently perceived.     Whichever the route chosen, we are getting something more positive from the choice that we do make over the choice we reject.       It was the simple fact that I knew I had a choice that kept me focussed on what I wanted to achieve.    And knowing I had a choice is what kept me going.      I could either give up my dream and probably later regret it ~ or, I could assume the state of “Nothing is going to stop me” and take the JFDI approach.

JFDI ?  ………………………. Just Feckin Do It.    It’s an interesting and empowering tool to have in one’s emotional armoury.     Whenever I felt unsure of the next step and I caught myself fearfully procrastinating, I reminded myself of my JFDI mantra and took hold of the big picture, breaking it down into small, manageable, steps.     Steps that I won’t bore you with here.   I just did what was necessary at any given step.     Suffice to say that I now have an expanding counselling practice.   My dream of living and counselling in France, once just a passionate thought, a dream to be dreamt,  has now turned into a reality.

A few words about passion and motivation:

Passion is is described in the Oxford English dictionary as a strong emotional enthusiasm for something.    Motivation is wanting to do what is necessary and often arrives from external sources.      When the internal emotion of passion links arms with motivation it becomes an unstoppable force.    Whatever you want to do in your life, if driven by passion you can find a way to make it a reality.

Now, my cat, Merlin, has a passion for catching mice.    This passion now needs to be invoked in order to catch the mouse I have just seen running across my lounge floor.    Currently sleeping, Merlin is about to become reacquainted with his passion.

JFDI

Jacqueline