The trouble with passion

Full disclosure: I have a problem with passion.

Don’t get me wrong. I totally admire inventors, entrepreneurs, creative artists and homemakers etc. who are all-consumed by the focus of their attention.

They are driven to shed the last drop of blood to bring something amazing into the world, to nurture it and help it develop. And we are so lucky to have them. They make the world more colorful and exciting.

As an example: I have a friend who plays virtuoso violin, while hanging upside down on a trapeze. Luckily for her, she has both physical and mental balance and that’s super important if you’re passionate about what you do.

One false move and you’re hurtling to the ground.

The same friend is also a film music composer, devoted mother of an aspiring actor son, and she is probably a major stakeholder in the Greyhound bus service as she crisscrosses the U.S. to go to performances, workshops and hang out with friends in far-flung places.

She is intense. And intensely interesting. Passionate. And I admire her. However, there are those who are passionate, but not so balanced, emotionally.

When things go wrong for them, they are equally passionate about expressing sadness, disappointment, frustration, even resentment and anger.

That negates the positive.

So, for those individuals, their contribution to the happiness of the world is both strongly positive and negative.

Who knows where their net contribution to happiness eventually lies? Clearly, passion has two sides to it.

So, my concern is that ‘passion’ has become a sort of entry-level requirement to achievement. If you’re not deemed passionate about something, you’re just mediocre. You’ll never make a difference.

I beg to differ.

You don’t need passion to be authentic.

It’s great if you have it and can balance it, because passion is highly emotional and can burst into flames if denied or daunted. So, it’s a double-edged sword.

Quite often, the word ’passion’ is bandied around as a precursor to permission to express yourself. That’s dangerous.

You don’t need to feel an earth-shattering tsunami of emotion to express yourself and your talent. Assuming what you do is positive and not negative for others, just loving what you do and doing it to the best of your ability will suffice.

The world is a better place every time you radiate positive vibrations.

Quantum Physics Chaos Theory refers to a phenomenon called The Butterfly Effect. This holds that something as seemingly insignificant as the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings can cause a tsunami right across the world, due to changes in atmospheric pressure.

Apparently, small changes can have a huge impact.

On the subject of positivity, I have a sneaky feeling that if we are being evaluated by some higher force, compassion is ranked higher on the authenticity scale than its more showcasing cousin, passion.

Just a thought.

So, let’s spread a little compassion to make the world a better place.

Go quiet. Find your positive vibration. Discover what makes you who you are. Nurture it. Develop it. And please share it.

The world is waiting for you. To make your difference. To create a well-healed world.

Begin today: Set yourself up to succeed. Build your confidence and develop a winning attitude. Go to my practical - and fun - self-awareness course at: 

https://www.isle-of-us.com/self-awarenesstoolbox and position yourself for the life of your dreams. The life you desire and deserve. Your future self will thank you.

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