by Karen Ball
I’m sure you’ve heard this before: Follow your passion.
Well, I have to admit that I don’t buy into that statement. My passion is not “out there” to be followed like some puppy chasing a ball.
My passion is inside me. And it’s something that developed from following my curiosity. I wasn’t born with the many passions that propel me through my day; they matured by my paying attention to what interested me and then checking those interests out.
But it wasn’t always that way for me.
Years ago, when people would ask me what my passion was, I felt like such a failure. I didn’t have one! I mean, where does one find passion? Are we playing a game of hide and seek here? Is it available on Amazon?
My love of scents and where they took me in my head – and why I liked some brands of a particular aroma and not others – intrigued me enough to sign up for a free introductory class in aromatherapy offered when I was a massage student about 25+ years ago.
My curiosity (and skepticism) about how contact with the feet could affect stress levels and health motivated me to enroll in the Reflexology Association of Canada’s foot reflexology certification program.
My interest in the role belief systems play in our ability to experience a happy and prosperous life propelled me to take a weekend course entitled Happiness is a Choice, offered by the eminent Option Institute.
Did I know where those initial steps would lead? Nope.
Did I have a plan in mind to create what’s turned out to be an amazing life for myself? Heck, no!
I was just following a tickle I felt inside; something that had grabbed my attention.
And guess what! Each of those initial steps left me wanting more!
I picked up a couple of books on aromatherapy and read like crazy. That sparked more curiosity and more questions. Decided it was time to spend face-time (the real face time) with someone who knew something about this stuff. Took a weekend workshop with FSM instructor Christina Polnyj, and that did it. Signed up to take certification training in a chemistry-based program, offered by Aromahead Institute of Essential Oils Studies. (I liked feeling like the mad scientist in my kitchen!)
Once I finished my reflexology training, I was, to say the least, fired up! I was eager to see how people other than my classmates would respond to the work. Started offering sessions to friends in exchange for services, and taking note of how their emotional, mental and physical lives were changed. And that’s when curiosity turned into passion! I just had to offer it to everyone I could in my hometown of Toronto! A business was born!
After the 2-day workshop in belief systems, I felt like an addict – I had to have more! I was mesmerized, and loved my teacher. I took another weekend course and then took the plunge to explore all my beliefs in an 8-week residential program that changed my life. That experience formed the foundation on which I have built my entire life and business.
Every one of these actions was triggered by my curiosity. Following what interested me is what developed the passions that inspire and drive me still today. I didn’t follow my passion; I followed my nose. My curiosity lit the match that sparked the fire that I bring to my work and life.
So, what are you curious about? What gets you thinking “hmmmm” every time you see or hear something? What will you explore in 2016?
If you have even an inkling of curiosity about reflexology, I urge you to join me for a 2-day workshop in foot Reflexology at FSM on March 19 and 20. You’ll either feel inspired afterwards or not. But, you’ll know if this is a path to meander for a while longer. You’ll either feel it, or not.
If curiosity has already kicked you down this road, and you’re ready to discover where a comprehensive training in hand and foot reflexology might lead you, then jump in. Read about this year’s Therapeutic Hand and Foot Reflexology Professional Certification.
You never know – your curiosity may explode into passion! And God knows, the world needs more passionate, compassionate people right now with a burning desire to contribute something of value!
