#1200th Blog: "PASSION" to Celebrate Labor Day

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire.  - Aristotle

Passion is an emotion, which is something that comes from within. However, it is a result of the belief and conviction which can be fueled from without. Passion is like the sunshine, keep your heart warm, but don’t let it burn out; passion is like the Summer rain, sometimes it is spontaneous, have it nurture your spirit, but don’t let it flood; Passion is like the waves, it stirs the sea, keep it alive,  but don’t let it overflow to disturb the peace. 

Passion is an inspiration which is often accompanied by vision: Passion can sustain and can be the drive that realizes visions. With a strong belief system, you will develop a passion for worthy things. With solid core values, you can then channel that passionate energy in a positive way. Passion should never take precedence over judgment. Following the passion also requires a good sense of judgment that you are on a right path.

Passion keeps you to be patient: Passion keeps you in the game longer as there are an end desire and vision that is driving you so you are more hardened to take the hits. We all have certain strengths and types of work that energize our minds and motivate us, as well as types of activity we dislike or that bores us. We are all different, so we should take the unique way to pursue the passions.

Be passionate about learning and growing. The skills you develop will help you as your career evolves. Mastery in any profession involves a cyclic process of repetitive discovery-reflection-application and coaching. If you follow this process to pursue the field of your passion, you will move from being a novice to an expert to a master which may take 10,000 hours of hard devotion to the field of interest. So following your passion should make this journey easier than pursuing a field that totally bores one. There is no short-cut to success.

Passion aligned with capabilities and meaningful work is a destination that grows with you. Although passion from a career perspective comes in many forms, it may change based on your set of career "lenses" as you evolve. However, having a passion and building a career around that passion would certainly align your focus and therefore potentially aiding you in greater success.

Passion enables determination, creativity, talent, and strategy. If you do not have the passion for what you do, determination, creativity, talent, and strategy become HARD WORK which in turn DISABLES determination etc. One should always move forward and not stand still, so if you have to make a change and you cannot follow your passion; make a move that will allow you to pursue your passion in the (near) future. It will allow one to obtain new insights and experiences that can only help in your future endeavors.

Where does passion come in - actually it is a factor, passion is not alone:
Passion without vision is misled.

Passion without purpose is misguided. 
Passion without action is wasted. 
Passion without strategy is ineffective.
Passion without competency is inefficient. 
Passion without integrity is manipulative. 
Passion without boundaries is destructive. 
Passion without unity is chaos. 
Passion without patience is short-lived.

Passion kindles one's life, life becomes more colorful with passion.