What the Passion?

It’s the new “buzz” word. You hear the word everywhere you go. “I am passionate about this”. “I am passionate about that”. “Live life with passion”. But what does “passion” mean? Someone asked me that question at a recent book signing. It caught me off guard because I was expecting questions about my book. All eyes were on me so I had to come up with an answer and the answer surprised me!

You see, I would hear the word passion being bandied about by various speakers as they talked about whatever they were doing and it meant nothing to me; it was just a cute word. I thought “passion” meant you were all “goo-goo” eyed about something. Your entire life revolved around that something and nothing else in the world, not eating, sleeping or family, mattered to you except that something. Well, I’ve since learned passion is not about being “goo-goo” eyed. Here are six questions you can ask yourself to help you discover your passion:

1. Is it something you would do without getting paid? Money isn’t the driving motivation behind you engaging in the activity.
2. Is it something that is fun, enjoyable and easy for you? You really like the activity and you’re good at it!
3. Is it something that stretches you and helps you to grow as a person? You may have to do things you’ve never done before but you’re okay with that.
4. Is it something that you have a strong desire to impart to others? You can’t keep it to yourself.
5. Is it something that helps other people? You feel good when help someone else achieve.
6. Is it something that you give no time constraints? Time seems to fly when you are engaged in the activity.
7. Is it something that makes you feel peaceful and feel a sense of accomplishment when you are finished? You are content and smile.

If you answered, yes to all these questions, you have found your passion! Congratulations! I’ve discovered that your passion is an inexplicable drive to do something that matters to you. For example, painters are driven to paint, writers are driven to write and ministers are driven to spread the Gospel; they can’t keep their “something” to themselves. I’ve discovered that passion means to “pass it on”.

If you answered no to any of them, don’t fret. Passion doesn’t hit you by a certain age and has a tendency to sneak up on you in life. Mine did. And your passion can change and evolve as you go through different seasons in your life. Just remember, your passion will change the world even if the world is just your neighborhood.