Passions

Pre-Discussion Preparation

We have included the following activities to help you prepare for the discussion: 

• You may want to read the discussion questions and contemplate your answers to them in preparation for the upcoming conversation with your group members. 

• Try to identify 2–3 of your passions and trace their impact on your life.

  • We have included a list of passions below to help you brainstorm. This is by no means an exhaustive list. It is merely intended to be a starting point in your own personal exploration of your passions, so feel free to choose passions that may not be on the list provided.

  • Advocating for a cause Aerobics, Astronomy, Birdwatching, Blogging, Boxing, Calligraphy, Camping, Chess, Citizenship, Coaching, Collecting, Cooking , Culture appreciation, Cycling, Dancing, Developing friendships, Drawing, Education, Environment, Exploring new places, Family, Fashion, Film making, Finances, Fitness, Gardening, Genealogy, Golf, Hiking, Horseback riding, Ice skating, Interior decorating, Karate, Kayaking, Learning, Meditation, Music, Parenting, Photography, Plants, Playing an instrument, Political activism, Quilting, Reading, Recycling, Robotics, Running, Sailing, Scuba diving, Sewing Singing, Skiing, social activism, Traveling, Weight training, Woodworking, Writing, Yoga.

  • We have also included the following questions to help you identify your passions:

  • What do you do in your free time? The things you choose to do and explore during your own time are usually highly indicative of your interests.

  • What is the topic of the articles, magazines, books, and videos that you find yourself drawn to?

  • What do you spend your disposable income on?

  • What activity makes you lose all track of time?

  • What did you love to do as a child?

Discussion Questions

Below are a series of questions that may help facilitate your discussion. There is no need to answer every question; instead, feel free to focus on the questions that members of your group seem most excited about.

• How do you feel when you are pursuing your passions?

• How have hobbies benefited your life?

• What do your passions say about you as a person? Does thinking about your passions help you understand yourself on a deeper level?  

• How have your passions impacted your life? Have they influenced any major life decisions?

• What are some strategies that you think will help you pursue your passions in a healthy, balanced way?

Post-Discussion Activities

Below are two activities that you can complete after the discussion to deepen your learning and to prepare you to write your life story: 

• Identify the passions that play an important role in your identity formation and identity story. After identifying your passions, you may want to write them down, so you can remember them when you start crafting your life story.

• Record any important takeaways from both your own thoughts and those shared by others during the discussion.

Overview Video Research

1. Lalande, D., Vallerand, R. J., Lafrenière, M. K., Verner-Filion, J., Laurent, F., Forest, J., & Paquet, Y. (2017). Obsessive passion: A compensatory response to unsatisfied needs. Journal of Personality, 85(2), 163–178. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12229

2. Vallerand, R. J. (2012). The role of passion in sustainable psychological well-being. Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice, 2(1). doi: 10.1186/2211-1522-2-1

3. Zawadzki, M. J., Smyth, J. M., & Costigan, H. J. (2015). Real-time associations between engaging in leisure and daily health and well-being. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 49(4), 605–615.

Return to: The Life Story Challenge