Many people assume they’ve lost passion when, in reality, discouragement and fear have slowly eroded their sense of hope. There’s a moment many of us reach in life when we pause and quietly ask ourselves, What happened?
We used to feel excited. Motivated. Certain. And now there is nothing.
We assume the answer must be that we lost our passion.
But what if that’s not true?
What if you didn’t lose passion at all?
What if you lost hope?
Most people begin something new with energy and excitement. There’s a sense of possibility, of this could change everything. We give it our best effort for a while. But when progress doesn’t come, or setbacks hit harder than expected, disappointment settles in.
That’s usually when fear enters.
Fear whispers that maybe this isn’t meant for us. Maybe we aren’t cut out for it. Maybe we should stop trying before we fail again.
And slowly, without realizing it, we confuse discouragement with a lack of passion.
My Story: When Fear Almost Made Me Quit
I remember giving my all in nursing school. I was 18 years old, married, and already had a child. The odds were stacked against me, but I finished the program, and that remains one of my proudest accomplishments.
After graduating, I moved to the U.S. and began the licensure process. My program was in Puerto Rico, and we weren’t prepared for the NCLEX the way U.S. programs are from day one. I underestimated the exam. I bought a Kaplan book, reviewed it, and walked in confident enough.
I walked out stunned.
What was that?
I wasn’t ready. The test shook me so deeply that it took a while to gather the courage to try again. Life moved on, new jobs, relocations, responsibilities. When I finally sat for the exam again, I failed a second time. This time, more than half the questions were select-all-that-apply. I left feeling defeated.
I remember thinking, “Maybe this isn’t meant to be”.
I seriously considered giving up nursing altogether.
But here’s the truth I didn’t realize at the time:
I didn’t lose my passion for nursing.
I lost hope in myself and felt I could not succeed.
Hope Is What Breaks, Not Passion
Passion doesn’t usually disappear overnight. It gets buried under fear, disappointment, and exhaustion. When we fail, or feel embarrassed, unprepared, or delayed, we start protecting ourselves by pulling back. This season of discouragement often shows up when motivation fades, and we begin questioning ourselves. Psychologists have long recognized that losing a sense of meaning can deeply affect motivation and resilience.
Hope feels risky.
Trying again feels vulnerable.
And so we stop.
But stopping doesn’t mean we no longer care. It means we’re afraid of caring and failing again.
Choosing Discipline Over Fear
Eventually, something shifted. Nursing wasn’t just a career to me; it was something I had wanted since I was a little girl. I dreamed of this. I wished for this. I prayed for this. So instead of quitting, I chose discipline.
For three months, I studied without skipping a single day. I answered 150 practice questions every day. I wrote down the ones I got wrong and learned why they were wrong. No shortcuts. No excuses. What carried me through wasn’t motivation, it was discipline and consistency over time.
I went into that testing center with fear. It felt like my Goliath. It felt like the mountain in my way. I answered 75 questions. (the minimum to know if you pass or fail). I left that center in tears. I was nervous, scared but hopeful.
I checked the website and realized I passed! Lord knows this was the biggest obstacle I had ever faced. It was what was keeping me from succeeding and climbing out of poverty. I cannot describe the emotion I felt in that moment. But I know I felt victorious.
Years later, I made the decision to go back to school and became a nurse practitioner. This was something I always wanted to do, but knowing I would have to face another board exam kept me fearful. But I faced it again, and that time I was ready. First try, I passed!
Not because it was easy.
Not because I never doubted myself.
But because I refused to let fear make the final decision.
What Fear Does to Our Dreams
Fear doesn’t always show up loudly. Sometimes it looks like:
- Procrastination
- “Being realistic.”
- Choosing something easier
- Convincing ourselves we’ve outgrown the dream
But often, fear isn’t protecting us; it’s delaying us.
And passion? Passion usually waits quietly until we’re brave enough to return.
If You’re Feeling Stuck Right Now
If you’re reading this and wondering whether you’ve lost your passion, ask yourself instead:
- Have I lost hope because something didn’t work out?
- Am I afraid of failing again?
- Did discouragement convince me to stop believing in myself?
Because passion isn’t something you lose easily.
Hope is.
And hope can be rebuilt.
Take a look at the journals for goal settings that I recommend to get focused and restarted on acheiving your goals. achieving
A Gentle Reminder
You don’t need to feel motivated to start again. You need courage. You need consistency. And sometimes, you just need to decide that fear won’t get the final say.
You didn’t lose your passion.
You lost hope for a moment.
And moments pass. Let’s move forward in courage. You got this!
Rest in peace, Alex Pretti and Renee Good. May your death not be in vain.
