There was a lot of talk about Passion over this past Easter weekend. Actually, it was more on the notion of The Passion, but I’m a writer and am playing with words for fun again. Let’s take some time to talk about–Passion.
“Find your passion. Then learn how to make money doing it.”
That’s what I used to tell my U12 Soccer players. To be honest, I had no idea how to coach soccer, and even if I knew the ins and outs of the game, I still couldn’t run. This three time surgically repaired knee often reminds me that running is for other people. So, I gave those young pre-teens my only talent…talking a lot about nothing. It was perfect. They thought I was smart and I let them think it.
“Find your passion.” Isn’t that phrase so simple yet so powerful? The majority of us will die never feeling the power of passion. But yet, it’s always the goal, isn’t it?
I had the pleasure of spending some time with a group of college students. We sat around the campfire only hours after celebrating the holiday with family. And even though I am twice their age, we could all agree that families are crazy. But we’re one of them, so there’s nothing we can do about it. Get over it.
I regress. College students. Yes, that’s where we were.
In individual conversations, I asked, “What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Each replied with answers that made me feel that, first, they are a lot smarter than I was at that age. (Seriously, it was, “First I’ll do this for one year, until I complete that, then I’ll…” You get the point.) They had perfectly planned their steps toward success over the next five years. I have a hard time planning what we’re going to eat for dinner tonight, let alone five years from now.
Was I not giving them enough credit for their patterned perfection? Nope, that wasn’t it. My two-times-their-age mind says without judgment or ridicule, “Good luck with that!” Because, seriously, how many times do things work out the way we plan?
On a side note, I was a bit disappointed that no one asked what I wanted to do when I grew up. Maybe they thought I was old and already achieved my dream.
Situations, whether outside influences, or internal struggles, plans change. Life changes. Thoughts change. Careers change. And I think the only thing we can truly rely on is our need to travel down our obstacle course and strive to fulfill our needs with the passion that rages unseen in hidden spaces of our hearts. The fire is the Passion that keeps us up at nights yearning to free itself from the bonds we’ve created.
How can we spark that Passion, that goal, that dream, back into existence?
We spend day in and day out simply trying to do our best. Maybe even try just to get through. And in the scheme of everyday life, somehow the word passion becomes a passing joke. You can’t pay bills with passion. Imagine calling the electric company and telling them you’ll pay with passion. They may laugh or they may call the police because it sounds a bit too much on the sexual harassment side of business. And having an HR spouse, I too have had to sit through the basics of harassment policies.
Passion doesn’t fix dinner when the kids are hungry. It doesn’t dust itself off of a wooden surface. And it doesn’t clear away smudges from windows. Or does it? Your passion to complete a job well done equals a pay check that pays the bills. Doesn’t the desire to add seasonings to the chicken so the kids won’t complain a part of passion? Does the craving to show off the pretty clean house, paid for by that pay check and the passion in the job make the house that much cleaner? Passion.
Some might say that passion is a taboo. “I always wanted to be a stand-up comedian.” People laugh. (Pun intended.) But can you actually make a living doing that? “I want to be a ballet dancer.” The response might be, “That’s nice dear, keep stretching.” Some might say, “I want to be a famous author.” And loved ones may chuckle and respond under their breath, “Not in my lifetime.”
No matter what happens through your course, be that bio-engineer, that marketer, that psychologist. It might take thirty years to sit around a campfire and feel successful, but try. Give it whirl and let your passion out.