What is Passion?

Let's clear something up. When we're talking about passions, we're not talking about sex. (Of course, it's important to have passion in your relationship (if you have one) and this is ONE type of passion but it is also not the only type of passion there is.

Passion then refers instead to anything that you feel super-excited about and anything that makes you eager to get out of bed in the morning. Everyone has different passions and there's no limit to what you can be passionate about, or on how many passions you can have. For some, music is the burning passion that drives them while for others it's more about learning, or crafting or Star Trek.

It really doesn't matter what you're passionate about but what matters is that you have things that you feel completely excited about and that you let yourself feel that way about them.

Why Passion is So Important

So why is this so important?

Well for starters, having a passion – even one that other people don't find exciting – will give you things to look forward to and to be interested in. Even if your passion is just 'action films', it means that you'll have something to do in the evenings (watch old action films) and things to look forward to excitedly (Expendables 4, anyone?).

Likewise, passions tell us about ourselves and they force us to grow. If you're passionate about making music then you'll, no doubt, practice playing an instrument which will help you to develop (and retain) dexterity, timing, rhythm and creativity.

Passions can also give us direction in life. If you feel passionately about stopping global warming or fracking, then that gives you a mission. No longer are you just living life from day to day, instead you're working towards a goal and for a cause that's bigger than yourself. This is what makes people feel motivated and connected.

So if you're wondering what it's all about, you're asking the wrong question. The question should be: what's it all about for YOU. And retirement is the perfect time to find out.

How to Reconnect With Your Forgotten Passions

When you were younger you were probably passionate about a hundred things. Maybe you loved a film so much that you had to watch it every single day. Or maybe you were fascinated with dinosaurs and sure you were going to become an archeologist?

Whatever the case, there are very few kids or teenagers in the world who feel 'meh' about anything. As a kid you either love it, or you hate it. That's what it means to be passionate.

These days though, the reality is quite different for most of us. If you're like most people then you will probably find yourself doing things half-heartedly and not getting all that excited about anything…

So how do you buck that trend and reconnect to those old passions you once had?

Remember Your Old Goals

One of the best ways to find out what you're passionate about today is to think about what you used to be passionate about. When you were younger, you probably wanted to be an astronaut or a princess or both and it's only as we get older that we're told to find something more 'adult' to be interested in.

But just because we've been forced to bury those old interests, that doesn't mean they aren't there, still bubbling under the surface.

And just because you might not realistically become an astronaut (this isn't one of those articles), that doesn't mean you can't still chase a passion for space, or for travel, or for new horizons – whatever it was that originally drove you to feel so strongly. And, even though NASA is 'between' human spaceflight programs at the moment whilst the shuttle replacement is being developed, there's still plenty going on, space-wise, both in the US and Europe that you could explore and get into.

Have a think about the things you lost touch with and why, and then try to get back under the skin of those things to remember what it was about them that got you revved up in the first place.

Add a New Spin

Sometimes you'll find that you actually have lost interest in the things that once were so amazing to you and if that's the case, then you shouldn't feel bad. There is nothing wrong with finding new things to be passionate about. Just as easily though, you could also try adding a new spin to an old passion.

For instance, if you used to love cartoons, maybe you could enjoy collecting comic books? And if you used to be passionate about politics maybe you still are – but your views have changed.

Rediscovering old passions is about respect for the past but it's also about growth and development - not merely trying to force a square peg back into an old, round hole.