What is passion?
Passion is anything and everything you readily and easily invest all your energy in. Meticulously reading books all the day, trekking regularly, spending day in, day out, learning painting are varied forms of passion. A life without passion will be an uninteresting life, won’t it?
Passion may come in odd forms: collecting postal stamps, vintage cameras, bus tickets and so on. It may seem odd to many, how someone can spend time doing this when there are ‘important’ issues, like career, to be pursued. The driving factor is the joy which a person discovers while spending time passionately. At any age and time, joy cannot be substituted by any achievement. After all its joy we are digging for all our life.
The advantage: why pursue passion?
It is only when we experience joy, which emanates from being passionate about everything we do, that we can live contented. If you aren’t convinced, observe the ‘big wealth’ guys who have spilt their juice of life in the daily drudgery.
Discover your passion
And now you may say, “These words are fine but I do not know what my passion is. How do I discover it?” Now don’t start thinking you are an odd egg. It happens in a society where nearly everyone is in the rat race to achieve success and earn a big paycheck.
Were you happy to stumble across your school sketchbook while cleaning the cupboard? Or was it pleasant to
discover your old stamp scrapbook?
Here’s the first step: Dig your cupboard. Something may surprise you. If that doesn’t work or isn’t possible dig the biggest storehouse you have: your memory. Chances are that you may find the long lost treasure. We often make plans in our childhood on what to become when we grow up. These forgotten plans may be of aid.
The last and least possible situation is that you have never been passionate till now. In such a situation you will have to try out what suits you. Don’t jump on something because it suits your fancy. Test it for sometime if it ‘really’ interests you. If it does, dive deep.
Living with passion
Another obvious question springs from the mind. “This talk seems good. Can I earn my daily bread and pay bills with this passion?” The fact is both yes and no.
Yes: You can make money out of it. Do not swallow this as a positivity pill. There are many exemplary individuals and businesses. Gifts shops, shoe laundry, baby stores, shoe museums, catering services, professional blogs, music shops, photography studios and many social medias which you are probably using today.
No: Because the passion may not produce things which are sellable – not that they aren’t good in themselvess. “Should I give it up?” Not necessarily. You can pursue it for your own joy. “Will there be a struggle between my passion and career?” When you know passion, you can be passionate about everything, involving your career.
It isn’t just survival i.e. earn a living that keeps one going, but there’s more in a person living with passion. The flame of your joy is ever burning, spreading the perfume to those around you and inspiring them to design their own passionate life.
Know the tools
Don’t stop here. Search and learn the specifics (tools and resources) well, as it differs for each peculiar passion. Stories of passionate individual successes are blooming day by day. Advanced communication technology and resources to materialize your thoughts with fewer squabbles have a hand in this. These may seem trivial but these are needed to pursue your passion efficiently.
Image Courtesy: http://oneslidephotography.com/
