To put “passion” on a pedestal by making vivid vows about it, and to make it so loud it becomes bigger than our intention, is nuts. But sadly enough, that is what happens so many times.
By Debbie Lynn
We have all heard the phrase, “If we find our passion; we will be happy.”
But I think it is the other way around. I believe when we are happy; our passion for everything, everything explodes from within.
I have struggled with passion for quite some time now. For me, the mere thought of devoting an enormous amount of energy to one particular person or thing hovers on the edge of insanity and attachment. Some call that nonsense, some call it lazy yet, through myriad experiences of wholehearted devotion to one thing or another, I have found most of the time it is nothing but an illogical let down.
In practice, we sit on the edge of our zeal and we must hold the things we value with great care and gentleness. The minute we cross that subtle line and attach our emotions to our fervor, we set ourselves up for a fall. Necessary? Unnecessary? I guess it goes back to where we are in our personal philosophy of life (i.e. if you subscribe to “No pain, no gain”), but there comes a point when a more sensible and solid stance keeps much of the drama at bay.
To put “passion” on a pedestal by making vivid vows about it, and to make it so loud it becomes bigger than our intention, is nuts. But sadly enough, that is what happens so many times.
Some roll love, their job, their talent and their opinions into a passionate story but I feel this is where the line is once again blurred. We confuse our verve with obsession simply by the act of claiming a fiery devotion to anything. One by one misconceptions are created about the role our passion plays, and some of that zest can be overshadowed by the craze.
Discernment is key.
A realistic consideration for where we are in our life and how to maintain balance at an arm’s length means: When we are detached from the animation of the things we do—detached from the ceremony and the outcome—it is much more apparent than the outward professions and vows of fervor. We simply do because it is what we are led to do by our hearts. No agenda.
So when we have nothing to prove and we are working through love and our highest intentions, it is hard to be concerned with what passion is or looks like, and we don’t need to call it anything. We are doing great things inside our self that reflects outward to all. I am not talking about “Mother Theresa” acts of golden servitude (although it could be) I am talking about our day-to-day life that holds light and gives light (via an inner smile) and to share it with others.
It truly is that simple, and this is where happiness that turns to passion resides.
After that, there isn’t a need to be overly fixated on life. Life will flow; life will “do and be done” without the theatrics. And with a quiet and very recognizable commitment we can emit a beautiful aura, and the energy behind it can move mountains.
When we are happy, we are healthy. When we are healthy, we tend to do more and we reach a higher state of our spirituality. This is “passion” that is constantly written and talked about and yet, it is so very personal.
But inside each little piece of thankfulness lies a huge amount of contentment happiness and inside our happiness lies a multitude of purpose.
We don’t really need a conversation about it; we just need to embrace it all and let the passion of our life shine through.
Comments
Debbie realized at a very young age that the outer reality was a far cry from her inner truth and meeting her inner wisdom head on always turned into a challenge. The wonderment, curiosity and hypocrisy of life led to exploration and a cumulative documentation (art and journaling) of what she lovingly calls “the purge”. It is her way of ridding any negative energy from the daily grind. She says, “In essence, it is a way to start fresh and cleanse the soul.” Debbie has had numerous articles published in Elephant Journal, The Edge Magazine, Sail Magazine and Cruising Outpost Now a featured writer for The Tattooed Buddha. Her daily posts can be found on Facebook-360 degrees of Inspiration (full circle)Facebook .
- A Day in the Life of a Moment (Because Nothing Lasts Forever) - February 22, 2019
- Zen Persona Shattered: Picking Up the Pieces When You Lose Your Sh*t - January 30, 2019
- Appreciating Peace in a Violent World - September 27, 2018
