Given a choice between living one's life fully and being driven by circumstances, the former would be a better way to live life. Yet, this is not easily accomplished. For some reasons, some people never learn what their passions are until it is too late. When they do, they are either too old to do what they want to do or they no longer have the stamina to last in the field that they want to dip their hands into.

When you understand what your passion truly is, it becomes easier to discover your purpose. Purpose, after all, deals with love and not compulsion. Passion, likewise, operates with love and cannot be discovered without it. Do you find yourself longing to do something? Or immensely enjoying yourself when you're doing something?

By taking a look at your passions, your hobbies and the level of attachment that you have with these hobbies, you begin the process of discovering your passions. Take note, however, that your passion and your purpose in life may be two different things; especially if a particular responsibility has been thrust to you such as providing for your mother and father who cannot provide for themselves. Providing for them might become your purpose in life but your passion may lie elsewhere.

It is better to base your purpose on your passion and on what you truly love doing and being. If your beloved parents die, then you will no longer have to provide for them. As such, one of the purposes of your life might crumble. The demise of purpose is always a depressing experience. If you do not find something else to replace it, you may wallow in depression, which is not a very good thing to do.

Instead of looking at outside sources for the validation of your passions and purpose in life, why don't you take a look inside you? What activities do you enjoy doing most? Who are you? What is your identity? What kind of person are you?

There are keys to your passion. One is your identity. Who you are is very different from what you do. Your profession might be a medical doctor but you are not your profession. Another key to your passion is your abilities. Skills and abilities take years to be developed; unconsciously, each investment on your skill is also a matter of discovering your passion and purpose.

Take note of where your purpose in life comes from. Make sure it is a good one. Otherwise, you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.