Author’s Note: This is the second post in my 12 Great Commandments series, inspired by Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project. In each post, I’ll share with you one of my personal commandments for living, and I’d love to hear yours too. In the previous post, we talked about Being Who You Want to Become.
Let’s talk passion.
“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion” – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
People are made to be passionate. It’s in our DNA to get excited about all kinds of things. To have big dreams and ambitions. And even to get borderline obsessive now and then.
If you don’t think that passion is hardwired into the human genome, just look at the huge variety of things people get excited about. Beanie babies. Art. Scuba diving. Philosophy. Building businesses. Minimalism. It’s as if passion is a little space inside us, waiting for something – anything – to fill it.
But if we’re all naturally passionate, then why is it so hard to make something out of it? Why is it that only a select few are lucky enough to find careers doing what they love?
One reason is that some people are good at showing their passion, while others aren’t.
The Second Great Commandment
Be obviously passionate.
It’s not enough to have passion. Our passions ought to be shared, and shared boldly.
Shared passion builds networks. And networks, in turn, help us pursue our dreams, through building a reputation, a community, a business, or a legacy.
Why We Hide Passion
Okay, reality check. Inspirational talk aside, being obviously passionate is a challenge for most of us.
What keeps you from boldly displaying your passion? For me, it’s a combination of several things. For one, I’m what you might call a “jack-of-all-interests.” All my life, I’ve jumped from interest to interest: writing, violin, philosophy, tennis, martial arts, chess … some stuck, some didn’t.
The end result was I had a hard time “choosing” between all these diverse pursuits. How could I, when I truly loved each one?
It was frustrating. And discouraging. Can you relate?
The solution I’ve found is changing the lens. Looking at the problem from another angle. Perhaps my passion – my talent – isn’t one pursuit in particular. My passion, I’ve come to believe, is passion itself. Is this a real answer, or just a rationalization? I don’t know yet. But I’m willing to try it and find out.
If you have trouble pinning down your true passion, perhaps you need to change your lens.
Dance Like No One’s Judging
“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.” – Angela Monet
I love this quote. To me it expresses one very important truth: we can offer our passion to others, but we can’t make them accept it. And sometimes that’s pretty intimidating, isn’t it? We ask ourselves: is it worth “outing ourselves” as passionate this-or-that, knowing that other people might think us “quite insane?”
Truth is, not everyone will “get” your passion. Not everyone will hear the music you’re dancing to. Depending on what your passion is, most people might not “get” it.
But that’s okay.
You’re not out to convert people; you’re out looking for people who are already tuned into your frequency.
I’m reminded of a scene from the musical Wicked. Elphaba (the main character, better known as the future Wicked Witch of the West) is an awkward, unpopular student. She shows up to the school dance and is immediately the center of attention – and not in a good way. The music stops; the other students stare. For an agonizing two minutes, Elphaba is dancing, alone, to silence.
In the crowd, Fiyero (the popular slacker) remarks admiringly, “It’s like she doesn’t care at all what anyone else thinks.”
To which Glinda replies, “Of course she cares. She just doesn’t show it.”
We don’t need to make ourselves impervious to the opinions of others. Instead, we must learn to accept the fact that other people affect us – and choose to be obviously passionate anyway.
But here’s the kicker. Passion demands respect. It’s magnetic and compelling in any context. Even if other people don’t quite understand your passion, even if they can’t hear the music that you’re dancing to, even if they look at you strangely at the beginning, eventually they can’t help but say, “Damn – I don’t quite get you – but you sure can dance.”
“If we could live without passion maybe we’d know some kind of peace … but we would be hollow … Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we’d be truly dead.” - Joss Whedon
13 Comments on “Be Obviously Passionate”
says:
Hi Jeffrey – Now that's an interesting take on your own passion – to decide that you're passionate about passion, period. It's great that you just want to be with it and figure it out along the way. And yes, I can relate to the “jack-of-all-interests” syndrome. I recently wrote about Stephen Sondhein and creative hedgehogs vs. foxes. Sometimes I want to be a hedgehog, but I'm just not! Oh, and one more thing about passion. A client once told me that the word itself bothered her, it seemed too jargon-y and overwhelming. I think because so many of the stories we hear about passion relate to doing BIG things. The word she liked better was fascination. I learned a lot from her. So mine would probably be: “Be obviously fascinated.”
says:
Another perspective is maybe we don't have to choose just one passion. Maybe we can be passionate about many things. Maybe its more about focusing the energy from one passion. I am loving this series so far. I look forward to seeing more of the commandments for art of great things.
says:
Passion is contagious. Being obviously passionate will stir up passion in those around you.
says:
I think passion is the key, which you nailed perfectly. But, not being AFRAID to be passionate about something is the real trick.
Great post!
says:
I actually just purchased a book called “The Grace of Great Things: Creativity and Innovation” which goes right along with what you're saying about passion being “jargon-y.” The introduction explains how studies of creativity and passion often focus on the big accomplishments – which is all well and good, but not very helpful for most of us.
Be obviously fascinated – I like the sound of that.
says:
That's another good way to think about it. The struggle I have is – what do I do with myself, when I've got 50 ideas pulling me in different directions? I'm still searching for the answer there.
says:
Absolutely. I think that's why shared passion never runs out; it just spreads and replenishes itself.
says:
Thanks, Dayne :)
says:
Jeffrey, I just love the passion you're showing in this piece! And I look forward to more commandments from you.
For me, the thing with passion is once I pay attention to and act on that ignited spirit, not only do I realize it's my preferred way to operate but it usually leads me to passion for other things. There are amazing surprises (and happiness) that we stumble on along the way if we nurture our innate capacity for passion and at the very least, it just feels right to do so.
says:
I *heart* Gretchen and I *heart* this post.
Its so true. The people that make an impact in my memory are very passionate people. Keep up the good work.
says:
I know exactly what you mean, Belinda. It's almost like riding a wave of excitement; you start with one thing, then jump to another and another without losing any of your energy. The hardest part sometimes for me is focusing on one thing long enough to finish it!
says:
Jeffrey,
I love this post. I've come to realize that passion can carry us through the really rough days, passion can help us get up in the morning, passion can energize other people, and passion in some ways is really all that matters. If you're not passionate about something, what is the point in pursuing it?
says:
Jeffrey, A great post. I think that sometimes a passion broadens out. It starts as one thing, then expands to include related things. A good example is my BF's passion for flying and airplanes. It's his job, source of income, recreational interest, and more. He got his pilot's license as a teenager before he got his driver's license. I think he's a fortunate person to live such a passionate life (and I'm fortunate to have him in my life).