Due to the awesome comments and the obvious rabble rousing that yesterday’s post caused, I feel that I need to go back and define what passion means… The reason many people take such a profound exception to my definition of passionate people is because they have no idea what passion is. Many of us call people passionate and have no idea why we even think they are passionate. For this reason, I think it is vital to be able to “define” a person’s passion.
Let me start by saying this… we have a screwed up linguistic system that assigns positive and negative connotations to every word that we use. Therefore, we have just assumed that passion is always a good thing. Passion is neither good nor bad. I think great leaders must have passion, but passion is not inherently a positive thing. Just ask any police detective. Passion without a system is deadly, thus the reason for this post. Passion is vital, but passion is not inherently good. I can be passionate about killing people, passionate about drugs, those men who attacked the world trade center were certainly passionate. The problem is the system that their passion had to work in. So, let’s back up and start with what passion is.
Passion according to dictionary.com is;
a. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.
b. strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor.
c. strong sexual desire; lust.
d. an instance or experience of strong love or sexual desire.
e. a person toward whom one feels strong love or sexual desire.
f. a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire of anything: a passion for music.
g. an outburst of strong emotion or feeling
h. violent anger.
i. the state of being acted upon or affected by something external, esp. something alien to one's nature or one's customary behavior
So what the heck does all of this mean?
Here’s my definition… passion is the inward motivation that is beyond reasonable intellect. It is an emotional response that is rooted in truly valuing a thing. Passion is a motivator that elicits some kind of response or action.
This leaves it devoid of positive or negatives and clearly indicates the practical pieces of what passion is and does.
But why do I need to be able to identify passion in other people. There are two key reasons, one of which will be addressed on Monday. However, for today I want to talk about the fact that people are ignorant about what passion really means. They think that performance is passion. Although passion does lead to performance… performance is not passion. We often think that just because someone can really sing that they are passionate about singing. We think that because Terrell Owens can really play great football, that he is passionate about the game. The problem is we have taught ourselves to evaluate passion by a person’s performance level and not by REAL INDICATORS. If T.O. really loved the game of football and was passionate about it, not even a small injury would keep him from playing. If he really was passionate about his skill and ability he would be cocky about showing it off… not just talking about it.
The reason we must be able to identify that passion is because without a proper system (which I will discuss on Monday), passion is reckless and can easily become a negative. However, if it is put into the right system, with the right structures, then passion can be truly multiplied. However, the system must be created to develop the person at the level of passion that they are at. That is why it is important as a leader (system generator) to be able to recognize a person’s passion.
We ignorantly go through life assuming we know passionate people by their performance and giving them credit for an internal work that really is only an external system. For example, I can put someone in a dead system and teach them to sing. They will even do a good job of singing. They can even be the best singer in the world, but I’m not looking for the best of the best, I’m looking for the most passionate of the passionate. Passion can’t be trained, systems can. The problem is we define who we are by our gifts and talents, not by our call and purpose. That is like going to your birthday party and celebrating the presents and not the fact that you are another year older (which by the way is what we generally do, perpetuating this system of ignorance into your children). The system must be great, but you must start with passion. However, passion without a system is no good either (More on this on Monday). I’m going to stop here for today, because this is getting long winded, and I’m thinking it may still take at least two more days to finish this topic up (if that is even possible). Maybe this will give you some more to think about!
* passion. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1). Retrieved August 25, 2006, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=passion
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4 comments:
So does passion have any connection to a person's "natural bent"? Is a person only passionate about their "natural bent" or can a person be passionate about or develop a passion for something that is not their "natural bent"?
Maybe as I discover what my natural bent is, my passions will develop from that. It seems I've been waiting for something to trigger passion when, all this time, that "trigger" was self-discovery.
I'm just trying to figure out where the actual passion comes from. I know it comes from within one's self but it's sparked by something (and it's not fairy dust). And I'm thinking it'll be easier to define a person's passions if you know their "natural bent". If someone's natural bent is towards teaching children (something they seem to be good at naturally), then it will be easier to define and develop their passion?
*Maybe I have the definition of "natural bent" wrong. But right now this is just my theory. I'm not sure of any of this, but at least up to this point, it makes sense and for far too long passion has been this far off, abstract concept that thought I would never be able to comprehend.*
Passion is developed. Passion is uncontainable. Passion is unwavering. Passion is angry. Passion is excitable. Passion is often undescribable. Passion is too big to put your finger on with words. Passion is unmistakable.
What am I passionate about? Pursuit, relationships, children, fulfilling my purpose, giving my supply, being a part of the team.
How do I know? It's all I think about, it's all I talk about, it's who I am.
What do I do with it from here??? Be me, and trust God...
More Great Comments... to answer "stonedge's questions"...
I agree, simple loss of control can be triggered by passion (which I will talk about in today's upcoming post). However, I think a leader can certainly remain calm and listen. We confuse anger with madness. I can be angry and be in complete control, it does not mean that I have to be "mad" (really think about what mad means... not just our everyday accepted definition). When I say they seem angry, it is because they are totally upset at the real problem, which 99% of the time is not people. It is some root that goes deeper than a persons actions. It is the structural resistance and the ignorant limitations that will get a passionate leader stirred up.
Maybe this helps a little. I think future posts will add more fullness to this. Thanks for the compliments and keep on changing!
BY THE WAY EM, FANTASTIC COMMENT! I CAN SEE THE CHANGE, KEEP IT UP GIRL!
Cyn,
I think your natural bent is your passion. It's what naturally stirs you. The way you act out that passion can help us identify your natural bent. Once again I'll be talking more about systems today and I think you will see more clearly how the system unveils the roots of passion. Not just the performance of it!
By the way, passion can't be comprehended, thats why it's passion. The pieces we can comprehend of it, are the structures that magnify it, the performances that identify it, and the people who manifest it.
If you could comprehend it, then you could reason yourself out of it.
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