Every human being is the ‘coming together’ of a wide range of natural, learned and experienced elements, experienced from ‘Day One’, but extending (growing/modifying) over a lifetime.
So, if there are many ‘parts’, some you have control over, some no control, most limited control over, what stands out as having the ability to drive all else towards you living the life you have in mind, and have had since childhood?.
If you said your passions, you would be right.
But … what drives passion? In essence, passion is the ‘outward manifestation’ of the Spirit inside us, albeit that Spirit is different for each of us in understanding, application and employment.
However, it is Spirit … your Purpose … that is the prime motivator for passion, the reason we are / become passionate about things and people in our life. Spirit is our ‘why’, and is what will lead us towards identifying our Legacy in life, that which we feel we have contributed (or hope to contribute) to the world.
We can work with the other areas; we can consciously grow and modify them; but our passions are what will power us forward with great strength, fuelled by our Spirit.
It must be acknowledged, however, that we are not all born equal, meaning that for some, being passionate will be a major driving force, catapulting them seemingly effortlessly towards the success they enjoy, and others admire.
But, for many, being ‘passionate’ is not so easy; it is not a conscious driving force, and it doesn’t naturally motivate them forward with the strength found in ‘passionate’ people. And that is okay … we are all different, and masters of our own destiny.
What is important is to be aware of the passion that does reside within you, what constitutes it, what drives it, what is accomplished through it. We can all learn to be passionate about things important in our lives, and we must always remember that being driven by passion is not ‘owned’. It comes from a love and desire to become the person we choose to be.
Passion, and being passionate, is what inspires us to lead a purposeful life. It will allow us to soar to great heights, but it can also drive us to frustration, disappointment, even anger and hate.
Passion is not something that simply emerges in life; it needs to be nurtured from an experience that was either pleasurable or painful. It won’t come into your life if you choose to wait for it.
For most, it is created from and by the love for something or someone; it can grow from a desire to make a difference in someone’s life. But it can also manifest through a failure to meet expectations, and a failure to get the results expected from an event, or even another person.
Passion, therefore, is the outcome of pleasure or pain, and the extent of a person’s desire / need to be passionate about something important to them. The ‘role’ of passion … to foster and support purposeful action, and to be a ‘vehicle’ for us to engage our Spirit characteristics in a way that is meaningful to and for us through personal growth that allows us to contribute to others.
Being passionate in life creates a stronger chance of avoiding indecision and procrastination … because it inspires action.
Those less passionate in life are more likely to fall back into their own comfort zone when the going gets tough, because that is the ‘safe way’, the way it has always been … and it ‘works’ … for them at least.
When passion is driving life’s actions at any given moment it allows a person to see beyond any current discomfort and challenge, and see a future which is inspiring and positive. And this is a major driving force for them across all areas of their life, but of course more deeply in those specific areas of interest that are key in their life for them, be it work or personal.
When passion is driving your life decisions it creates an energy that heightens focus and self-confidence. It develops clarity about what is wanted, what is to be achieved, and in turn encourages healthy and effective daily choices, decisions and actions.
Passionate people use their passion to grow away room their comfort zone and towards a more satisfying and fulfilling life on their own terms.
Challenges will be as real and prevalent for them as they are for those less passionate, the difference being their ability to be (and stay) in control, take responsibility, and commit to what is needed to be done to ensure they live with a clear and definite purpose that reflects who they are.
When you drive life with the passion that is fundamental to you it helps create a state of mind that evolves into a state of physical and emotional being – one of positivity, contentment, fulfilment .
The key to being (and remaining) passionate is consciously putting your identified passions to good use, whether by choosing to focus purely on your key passions, or whether by preferring to address them all with the understanding that they all have a part to play in your daily life.
It is all too easy to get caught up in life, or be caught up in someone else’s life, and lose sight of what truly makes you passionate.
As such, living passionately relies on some very clear qualities that can be learned over time, regardless of the passions themselves. They include:
dedication & commitment
determination & discipline
confidence
optimism
focus & motivation
curiosity & flexibility
courage & strength
ability to let go
The astute reader will quickly recognise these in their own life and for different reasons, but will also acknowledge that, for them, some passions will feel more relevant and important than others, and some will apply in certain situations only, and not across all they experience.
In other words, what is more important than passions is being passionate. For many, being passionate and living passionately will take an enormous amount of effort to achieve, and this can be a reflection of your personal make-up.
Only those who truly seek to live passionately, and/or are ‘naturally’ passionate, will feel the ‘power’ of success.
However, for those who feel they are not as passionate as they would prefer to be, but have a genuine desire to live passionately, there will be a need to take risks. Moving out of their comfort zone, making firm decisions and taking definite action will help propel them forward.
Accepting that there is no failure, but only a continual re-assessing of the steps to achievement, is key to ultimate success. Understanding each passion, and what each is represented by, will allow informed and purposeful action, and a vehicle for living your ‘why’.
We have all many passions within us. Some will emerge as more dominant, but all have value. Some will serve us better in varying scenarios than others.
What is important to understand and appreciate is that without a working knowledge
of each passion that is important to you, and the skill to implement each as necessary,
is to run the risk of never fully reaching the heights that can be achieved in life,
never maturing into the person that is a true and full reflection
of … You.
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