Knowing the Importance of Finding Your Element and Tools to Help You Find It

Last week I posted on the Facebook that I was beginning work on BalancingMotherhood.com 2.0. After 8 years, it’s time for an overhaul. I’m devoting full time efforts right now to rejuvenate the brand and pick up steam on what I believe is my passion to help women achieve their goals in life.

I’m starting the process by reading some inspirational books to get my creative juices flowing. First up is Ken Robinson’s “Finding Your Element,” the follow up to his popular “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.” I wrote about this first book a few years ago and have found this new one just as inspiring.

In “Finding Your Element,” Robinson shares insights and strategies on how to find YOUR element. You know you are in your element if what you are doing gives you energy. “Not being in it (your element) takes it from you.”

The book walks you through more than 15 exercises to help you find your true passion and “element” so that you can learn how to pursue your dreams. Sounds great, right? He tries to help you disrupt your normal patterns of thought so you may see yourself in new ways.

What if you already know your passion? You know what you should be doing in life, but are at job you hate because you need the paycheck and insurance? How do you let go of that and keep a roof over your head? Robinson tackles that too. This isn’t a book that says to throw away your day job … not yet. Each exercise is meant as a stepping-stone to getting you aware of your passion and helping you realize your dreams.

What if you aren’t into doing “exercises?” This book is less helpful if you don’t put in the work. It’s meant to get you thinking, to get you to start putting in the work for your dream. It’s not a get rich quick, quit your job type of book. BUT, if you don’t have time for the exercises right now, just read the book through once as is. Let it simmer. Highlight passages that speak to you, like this one for me about self-esteem:

“People rise to the level of success that their self-esteem can absorb. Those with low self-esteem don’t feel worthy of the rewards that come with success, however they define it. So often, people will talk about their fear of failure and I will find that it’s a mask for the fear of success. Underneath it is the feeling that I don’t deserve whatever success there might be in life.”

Wow! Powerful stuff right there. BIG pen marks underlining “fear of success.” Great lesson.

I could go on and on about this book and share more about what I underlined as I read through it. It’s a great read and is inspiring me to move to the next step of my passion. I’ll post more as I gear up and get moving to finding my element!

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book. Opinions are my own.