The Passion Test: The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose

This book changed my life forever!I know that is a very strong sentence,and I don't use it often,but let me explain.In my childhood days,I was a very creative kid.However due to many unfair circumstances in life,I was never able to live my passions.The sad thing was that I did not even realize that until I read this book.About 10 years back ,I went through some very dark experiences including losing both my parents and an unborn baby back to back.I had numerous health issues.At a very low point in my life,I was one browsing for something else and saw this book.After reading the reviews and always having that gut feeling that something was missing in my life,although I did everything right as much as I could,I decided to give the 'silly' test a try.And it was mind-blowing.I love this book except some cheesy new Age stuff that is sprinkled throughout this book.If you can look past those glitches,this book is a treasure.After taking the test and prioritizing,I realized that I had a forgotten/hidden passion among other passions that I did not realize I had.It was a big surprise for me and I immediately realized why I never felt fulfilled in life.There is a question in this book about what will you think about your life when you have lived for ,say,100 years and then look back.To me that was a million dollar question.Because when I did the test as per the book and answered a few questions,I realized I had a deep hidden passion to be an evangelist for Jesus.I had never admitted that to myself.If I look back at the end of life and realize that I had never obeyed Jesus' last commandment,I would have deeply regretted that.To bring good news and hope to the suffering.First I straightened up my prayer life.it was down in the dungeons after the various family tragedies.In the last 4 years,I have read a total of at least 100 spiritual books,thus deepening my relationship with God.I also have decided to take up charity work and was afraid to do so before.I don't want any regrets when I die.I also mended any relations that had gone crooked,as far as possible humanly.Again,don't want regrets later in life.And that meant a lot of forgiveness.I also discovered I was a born designer and I like creating things.I love painting,jewelry making,designing clothes,crafts of all sorts,gardening,reading,sewing,interior decorating etc.I also love singing,visiting beautiful places and I am a great organizer and leader.These are just a few of my passions,however,I had never done any of the above things for the past 15-20 years,ever since I entered college and then got married and had kids.No wonder I was struggling so much because I was not doing anything that I was born to do.If God had given me these passions and talents,then I was supposed to do them.Instead my soul was in sort of a jail.St Theresa has said that a soul finds ultimate joy when it is doing God's perfect will.When God gives me certain talent,using that talent is God's will for that soul.but somehow in this confused world,we miss that very obvious point.I have a friend whose passion is creating beautiful pieces of artwork.However she has a mundane job and is very unhappy.True ,she is able to be secure financially,but she tells me her life feels unfulfilled,but she cannot pinpoint what's wrong.I know a lot of people like that.They are just trapped in something they are not designed for and they feel empty all the time.I strongly believe now that each and everyone of us are designed for something,destined for some great work our Creator had in mind.When we do not discover what that purpose is,it can greatly affect our happiness on earth.We feel empty and keep looking for that because our life purpose is not yet found,and we are not feeling that fulfilment.In my case,I read this book in 2012.I started with small changes.I started getting rid of things that I had no interest for,and choosing things I liked.That may sound very simple,but is difficult because many times we are confused which way we should go.I joined my local church choir.I started singing every week,and then I started taking music lessons.I now sing on stage in addition to church singing several times and friends are raving about where this talent was hidden all these years.I have also taken steps to improve my health greatly.I started all those creative juices flowing.Now I paint and make use of other talents.I have decided to switch my career in more creative ways.I have never been so happy in my life before.Everyone now wants to know why I am so happy all the time.I do things I enjoy in addition to my everyday responsibilities.That has brought so much joy.Their website also has a course on how to monetize your passions.For those who said the entire book can be summarized as make a list of things you want to do,that is way too much oversimplifying.It is not that easy.You need to take this test a certain way following the steps the authors have outlined,otherwise you will miss the whole point.If you are on a budget,borrow from library or get a used book,but do follow the steps of taking the test seriously.I will update here a few years later.This book was well more than worth the money.It opened my eyes toward what I was doing wrong in my life unknowingly,thus sabotaging my own life's purpose.I thank the authors for that and next time you guys revise this book,please leave that cheesy New age stuff behind.

I heard Janet speak in a public forum and the power of her narrative simply blew the audience away. There is a deep conviction in her words and this is apparent in the book as well.Some reviewers cavil at the authors' personal accounts of their travels to India and elsewhere and their accounts of persons they encountered. I found their story engrossing and it helped put the rest of what they said in context. It also helps that the prose is highly readable.Sure what they say is simple and sure you have run across it before. This does not make it any less effective. Sometimes we need to have the same truths blasted into us with a power hose before we internalize it take actions that literally transform our lives.The author's test does involve making a list of ten things that elicit passion in you now and it does involve repeating this every six months and there have been snide comments about this. I have, in various top business schools, used my own version of this process and can testify that it is both powerful and it WORKS. Most of us are so divorced from what makes us come alive that we do not even know what we are passionate about if anything. Janet and Chris give you a process by which you can begin to find out and this does not happen overnight.The book is absolutely crammed with profound insights and the fact that you have run across them before does not diminish the usefulness. You do see the world as you are and not as it is. You can even argue like a famous president about what your definition of "is" is. Your thoughts have shaped you into what you are and what you think now will shape who you become tomorrow. And, yes, the Buddha proclaimed this three thousand years ago and many others have done so since. So what?The authors repeat these timeless truths in their own inimitable fashion, tie it in with their personal narratives and those of others they have met and present it in a highly engaging fashion. The quotes interspersed throughout are fabulous. Eg "There are two great days in a person's life - the day we are born and the day we discover why," "When you follow your bliss..dors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else," "The key of all life is value. Value is not what you get - its what you give."If you do the exercise conscientiously, you will start awakening the passion dormant in you. Do it long enough and it will take over your life. I sincerely wish this for you because that is what will lead you to a truly fulfilling life - where your passion is effortlessly used so you can be of service to others.Are You Ready to Succeed? Unconventional Strategies to Achieving Personal Mastery in Business and LifeThe Personal Mastery Program: Discovering Passion and Purpose in Your Life and Work (Sounds True Audio Learning Course)

Before I read this book I have to admit that I was has a little lost in the system. I had actually forgotten about the reasons why and only thought about what I didn't want in my life.For years I always felt something was missing in my day, so I spent many days in those years often feeling down and un-motivated. I have read many books about motivation and business but none of them really went as Deep as this book did, when it comes to realising your purpose and living a life filled with passion.The beginning of the book was a little like my life at the time, it was a little slow in getting its point across initially however as I read through the book and participated in its exercises, especially the Passion Test I found myself gaining more energy, getting more excited and finally jumping out of my bed with energy and a smile, instead of a sigh and a feeling of tiredness. I was able to get clear about my purpose and passion and this allowed me to paint an incredible picture of where I am today and where I will be in the years to come. I look forward to living in the moment of every day, thanks to Janet Attwood for sharing her story.The book travels further by providing real case studies of people in our society that live their lives with passion while also being financially successful themselves. If you are looking for answers about, who you are, why you are here and how you can contribute to mother Earth in a positive way that makes you feel completely fulfilled then buy this book, it will do wonders for you and also our planet.Greg Suefong, Sydney