Several years ago, after spending time in quiet reflection and reviewing childhood playacting roles, I wrote down things I had a passion for when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

It is said that passion can make your life richer in more ways than one. By recognizing what makes you happy and simply doing more if it, you can create a fulfilling and rewarding life for yourself. All kinds of people are transforming their passion into profits these days.

For the first ten years after graduation from college, I listened to other peoples "well meaning" advice, instead of trusting my intuition. I ended up working at a bank in several clock-punching-nine-to-five positions, the majority of which I absolutely no passion for. I was bored to tears. After almost a decade there, I began to realize that I was capable of doing much better. I also had a feeling my destiny was something altogether different but I didn't know what.

So I set out to find my path.

That's when I eventually quit and became a Wall Street stockbroker. Five years after that, I had another revelation and quit Merrill Lynch to follow my dreams of becoming a motivational speaker and eventually pilot. Those were heady days, trust me. Scary but well worth it.

Doesnt it make sense that if you are doing what you love doing and getting paid for it, youd be happier, more content? Millions of people are tired of going to work with a less than excited attitude these days. Why do you think they dread Monday mornings? Why do you think customer service is just horrid - are these people, by definition, happy in their jobs?

Here's how I found my passion(s). I took out a piece of paper and wrote with wild abandon what I wanted to do with my life. I wrote anything that came to mind without worrying how ridiculous it sounded. My mind was allowed to drift back to when I was a kid - I asked myself what things I did during "playtime activities" that made time fly by fast.

While I was doing this little exercise, my ego tried to interfere and plague me with doubts saying things like, How will you accomplish this? You're crazy, you cant afford to do this! How will you survive?" You're not good enough."

If you have a family to feed, you might get something like, "You've got a family of four mouths to feed, you'll just have to wait until they graduate from college before you do this!" If thoughts like these find their way through your mind, gently acknowledge them and set them aside. In other words, give them no power.

I vividly remember when I used to play "schoolteacher." As a youngster, I pretended I was a pipe smoking professor, teaching imaginary students for hours at a time in my tiny bedroom. Even though I didn't grow up to be a "professor," I am now a teacher of sorts as a professional speaker showing others how to turn adversity into a university of possibilities! (and while I don't smoke pipes, I do smoke cigars!)

Another childhood pastime was imagining myself as a pilot, flying model airplanes over makeshift villages with little plastic houses and fences. Right around that time, I begged my mother to take me to the airport to watch planes take off and land until I was old enough to drive. When I turned 16, I often took her car to the airport and hung out all day by myself instead of going to the local mall with my friends. Then I took it one step further and drove out to the countryside where I could safely drive down the middle of the highway, pretending to take off and land. (Unfortunately, I ultimately paid the price with a couple of speeding tickets! Isn't that what the pundits mean by "paying the price"? Well, it was definitely worth it....in retrospect, of course!)

See the connection there? Whatever you used to do as a child that you found fun and engaging is most likely what you're destined to do as an adult. The reason many people aren't doing what they're called to do is because they ended up repressing their dreams in the name of "being realistic."

Realistic according to who? Their parents? Their friends? Relatives? Society? They have a myriad of excuses saying, "You don't understand, I have to work at XYZ Corporation because I have to pay the bills even though I hate my job." No, life is not about paying the bills. It's about living your life's purpose. All it takes is a little time to find out what it is.

Only you know what youre good at. Others might have some kind of idea where your talents lay but thats only their opinion. Youre the only one who can decide what talents you have and how you will apply them. The universe will guide you if you pay attention to "coincidences" and "synchronicities" which hint at what action you should take.

I've found that the universe eventually provided me with the how. That's how I, a deaf pilot, was able to earn the instrument rating for the first time in aviation history in February 2006. When I first started flying in 2000, I distinctly remember seeing FAA regulations where it spelled out, in black and white, the two way radio requirements for the instrument rating. By definition, that excluded the deaf pilot population; yet, I affirmed that I was going to find a way around it somehow. What happened was I made a decision that I would achieve it even though it looked impossible at the time.

I'm very fond of a quote from the book "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsch:

"When you 'make up your mind' about something, you set the universe into motion. Forces beyond your ability to comprehend--far more subtle and complex than you could imagine--are engaged in a process, the intricate dynamics of which you are only just now beginning to understand."

You see, I hadnt yet met people who would eventually help me get it. I hadnt heard from the FAA that it was possible for a deaf pilot to fly in instrument conditions (i.e. flying in "bad weather"). All of this was to take place in the future - 5 years after I made the decision!

Food for thought: Cultivating and nurturing your passion(s) will take you places beyond your wildest dreams. Trust that your efforts are being supported by the universe once you make a decision. Also trust that life is very generous to those who follow their passions.