Passion is the fuel that ignites the flames of transformation and burns in the hearts of those who live authentically.
A number of years ago I watched a movie called, The Never Ending Story. It’s a 1984 fantasy film based on a German novel by Michael Ende. In the movie, the land of Fantasia is being destroyed by a powerful entity known as “The Nothing”. Bastian, the hero of the story is a little boy who cares deeply about Fantasia. He overcomes the effects of “The Nothing” and fearlessly rescues the princess. By giving her a human name, Fantasia is magically restored to its original beauty.
“The Nothing” that Bastian had to overcome was apathy. If passion were a super power, then apathy would be its nemesis. It has the power to seduce you into a state of indifference. Did you know that apathy has a voice? Sometimes the voice of apathy whispers to me that the dream is too big, too hard, too lofty. Apathy would have me play life small, give up on my hopes, dreams and desires altogether and just conform to what everyone else is doing. How does apathy speak to you? What dream or desire is it trying to steal from you?
Living with passion begins with a decision to live authentically. To truly live with authenticity is to embrace who you are. It involves taking time to reflect and discover what it is that makes you truly unique; knowing and honoring your core values. It also means attending to and caring for the things that are really important to you and understanding the value and benefits that your actions will create.
Answering this powerful question might help you tap into a personal passion. What gifts do you have that you would love to develop even further? If you could use these gifts, talents and abilities to bring more joy into the world, what would you do?
As you begin to discover what you are passionate about, you begin to tap into some very valuable information about yourself. Understanding who you are and then making a decision to live from your “CORE”™, will enable you to experience passion rising up inside of you naturally and effortlessly. If you allow passion to guide you, it will lead you through your very own transformational journey. A personal metamorphosis from which your authentic self emerges naturally and leads you to the fulfillment of your purpose and destiny.
Passion ignited the greatness in people like Mother Theresa, Chris Gardner (The Pursuit of Happiness), Mahatma Gandhi and tennis pro James Blake. It enabled them to overcome great hardships and take action even in the face of adversity. Each one embraced what mattered most to them; giving meaning and purpose to their lives. Whether it was helping those in poverty find abundance, responding to tyranny with non-violent resistance, or overcoming health problems to play a sport they loved.
Perhaps your passion is linked to personally developing something you love to do. Or it may be about contributing and making a difference in a particular area such as business, technology, education, religion, politics, sports, humanitarian efforts, or the arts. People who pursue their passion have found something greater than themselves to believe in, a person, group, community, or activity to care about, influence and impact … a cause worth pursuing.
Whatever the cause or effort, those who live with passion don’t stand by and do “nothing”; they live authentically and give the gift of self. They become the difference they want to see in the world.
Living from the “CORE”™ means embracing:
- Competence – Knowing and developing what you’re really good at, taking your talents to a new level of mastery.
- Originality – This is your essence, the combination of your personal traits, core values, and passion.
- Renewal – Is to live in a state of openness and willingness to adapt in the moment.
- Emotional Consciousness – Is to have both the awareness and the ability to choose the emotional response that best serves your desired outcome.
