The myth of passion
The myth of passion
The word ‘passion’ has become a huge buzzword lately. Experts sharing their tips on how to discover your calling, your passion, your purpose for being on this planet. What I have found is that this is starting to become a destructive word. It creates this huge sense of fear – ‘what if I am not doing the thing I meant to be doing?’ It makes the present moment insignificant, it’s this thing we need to get through in order to get to the next more important moment because maybe we’ll discover it then. It has the ability to create huge self-doubt because the word passion indicates there is ONE thing we should be doing and that we should instantly know what that thing is.According to author and speaker Mel Robbins, passion is energy: not a destiny. Passion isn’t a person, place, or thing- and you won’t find it outside of you. Passion begins inside with curiosity. You grow into the things that interest you. Passion is about the pursuit, not the end game. “The key is to start aligning yourself with more things that energize you. Now being depleted versus energized has nothing to do with whether or not things are hard or easy. It has to do with what naturally expands you or shrinks you.I listened to podcast by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat.Pray.Love. She confessed to being guilty of spreading a message that people must follow their passion to find true happiness. She now apologizes for this message and advises all we need to do is to follow our curiosity.The stakes are low when we are just curious. Whereas passion makes us feel like we are risking everything by putting all our eggs in one basket. Most people’s career paths have been a result of following one curious interest after the next. When you are curious, it allows us to explore in a fun and safe manner. If we realise it isn’t for us than no big deal. Just move onto the next thing.Elizabeth suggests ‘Do yourself a great kindness and just for now – take the word passion off the table. Relieve yourself of the pressure around that. Just follow your curiosity. It’s a gentler, kinder, more welcoming, more humane instinct than passion. It is so much more accessible. Passion is demanding and it’s greedy.In contrast to the demands of passion, curiosity will never do that to you. It will never make outrageous demands of us. It doesn’t take. It only gives. It gives you clues on the incredible scavenger hunt of your life. Curiosity is accessible every day. It’s so mild and the stakes are so low. No matter how nothing it seems, there is something every day you are always curious about.It’s the trail of bread crumbs of your life. The only thing curiosity will ever ask of you is to turn your head and look a little closer at one of those clues. You may follow it for a few inches and realise you aren’t really into it and that’s ok. Or you may go for a long time just doing that thing.Gilbert says ‘If you’re willing to release yourself of the pressure of passion and follow the bread crumbs and trust it, one of these days, you will look up and realise you are doing exactly what you are meant be. If you can let go of passion and follow your curiosity; your curiosity may just lead you to your passion.She closes with this quote by late poet Hafiz:‘This place where you are right now. God circled on a map for you’.Trust your interests, trust your curiosity and follow the bread crumbs. So here are some thought starters to discover where your curiosity lies and what energizes you:
- What are the things that naturally energize you?
- What do you like to learn about?
- What would you do for free?
- Whose life are you interested in or envious of?
- How can you add more of these things into your life?
- What depletes you?
- How can you remove one of these things from your life today?
When something energizes you, add more of it to your life. When something depletes you, figure out how to do less of that thing. As often as possible, follow the energy inside you. That is where curiosity lives.Here’s to following the bread crumbs,Warm wishesLori