Have you ever noticed how there is a pill you can take for practically everything you need? Your head hurts, take a pill. You can’t sleep at night take a pill. You have trouble focusing, take a pill. You want to lose weight, take a pill. Your kids have too much energy, take a pill and on and on it goes. The truth is that today, if we are not careful, we can have a similar approach in our work and life. We can look for quick fixes or shortcuts in everything we do. Shortcuts are not bad, but when it comes to your life and mission, a quick and easy fix will not do the trick. You are going to need something that can sustain you when adversity hits. That “thing” you will need is passion. Passion is an intense burning desire inside of you for something you care about so deeply it will not go away. It cannot be bought, swayed, denied or turned back. Passion will not be denied. People who are passionate stand out in whatever they do. You can have two teachers who teach the same subject and class, yet one teacher’s students seem to always do better. The difference? Passion. Passion can and will make the difference for you. If you don’t have something you are passionate about, then why are you doing it? If you are bored and hate it, then stop. Find something else. My challenge to you is seek out and search for something you are passionate about! It will be well worth the effort and you will be forever ruined, but you will impact more lives in the process. You will never want to live life any other way. If you are lacking passion, here are some tips to help you find it:
People – forest fires start from small sparks. If you lack passion, get around and hang out with someone who is passionate! If you can’t find someone, then listen to a podcast or video of someone who is. It will be contagious. It will light a fire inside of you and become a catalyst in your life.
Purpose – What are you on the earth for? What is your mission? A big part of finding your passion will be to find your purpose. What is your gift? What are you really good at? When we don’t know our purpose, abuse can occur. If you use a wrench to drive nails in the wall, you might be able to put the nail in, but the wall will be damaged as well. Wrenches are made to turn bolts; hammers are made to hit nails. It’s the same with us. If we don’t know what our purpose is, we will get caught up doing things that may discourage and defeat us. Your true purpose will ignite passion in you.
Places – geography matters in stirring up passion. Championship games are played in arenas, beautiful art is painted in studios, blockbuster movies are shot on sets, big business deals are done in boardrooms, and romance is sparked in secluded settings. There are places that elicit passion in our lives. If you want to stir up passion for your work and life, find that place that can unlock it for you. Your place will most likely be different than others because you are unique in your own way. Take time to visit great places and see what moves you.
In summary, there is no “passion pill” we can take to keep us motivated. It is something that takes time and energy. If you will make the effort to press in and you don’t give up, you will tap into your passion. Once you do, that is all the medicine you will ever need. No pill is needed!
