Passion … one of Life’s Inherent ‘Drivers’
Jeff Withers
Mental/Emotional Health & Wellbeing Coach and Practitioner | Intentional Longevity and Productive Ageing Coach | Psychologist | Co-Creator of the 9 Pillar Genius Profile | International Speaker | Author
We are all human, we all share many similar characteristics. So why then are we also all so very different?
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.
They are:
So, if there are six ‘parts’ to what makes you unique, which do you have control over, such that you can build your ‘dream life’.
In other words, which of these has a great ability to drive your life at a conscious and deliberate level?
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.
It is our spirit … our 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 living the life we choose (although tempered by a wide range of sometimes non-controllable influences and events).
We can work with the other five parts, 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 comes from a love and desire to become the person we choose to … what we might term our ‘Person-ability’.
Passion, and being passionate, is what inspires us to lead a purposeful life.
And, it is interwoven with and within the other five parts of our life identified above. 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 in a way that is meaningful to and for us through personal growth.
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 life’s decisions and actions it creates an energy that heightens focus and self-confidence.
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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, literally, to grow a more satisfying and easier 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 all other five of the elements that make up 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 putting your passions to good use, whether by choosing to focus purely on your key (primary) passions, or whether by preferring to address them all with the understanding that they all have a part to play in your daily life.
Thinking about your passions in this way can be very useful in determining whether or not you are living as you would prefer.
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:
The astute reader will quickly recognise these in the effective application of all life’s decisions, but will also acknowledge that, for them, some 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.
As such, 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’.
Reaching understanding can be encouraged through reflecting on the following seven questions …
We have all a suite of passions within us. Some will emerge as more dominant, but all have value. Some will serve us better in varying scenarios than others.
But what is important to understand and appreciate is that without a working knowledge of each passion, 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 the ‘Person-ability’ that is a true and full reflection of You.
So … a challenge for you ...
You see, our passions are not set in stone. Being ‘passionate’ is not granted to us automatically at birth … it is learned and earned through living life.
Our passions haver the potential to grow and diminish over time, and that is fine.
Being a passionate person is what is key … passionate about living life to the full.
Want to learn more about how you can grow your passion for life … at home, in your relationships and at work?
Contact us on admin@9pillarlifestyle.com.au or Click Here to organize a 30-minute discovery chat.