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Over the years as a corporate trainer, I have spoken to many people about many things. If you have followed my posts, you can imagine that there is also quite an eclectic range of topics I broach with clients. All of them aim towards a similar position albeit from several directions. That point is responsibility for the self.

This includes many topics such as skillsets and work ethics, attitudes and integrity. It covers communication and self-development processes, stress coping mechanisms and emotional control and, being me, I look at the factors that prevent us from achieving what we want to achieve. Understanding what is via by removing what isn't. Truth via negation.

One topic that comes up often in many forms is Passion. The all so elusive situation where you love what you do so much, that it and you consume each other and become one. Where for the time you are together, you are completely engaged. Something that makes life feel meaningful.

So let's have a look at what impedes our experience of passion instead.

People often want to be passionate about their work but they are likely to have a conflict before they ever begin. The problem is passion is not work, well, not in the sense that most people regard work these days. Most see work as something that has to be done in order to survive the day to day requirements. Pay bills, put food on the table etc. It is also all of the maintenance tasks like cleaning the house or cutting the grass. Passion does not live here. It is not the type of tasks, it the attitude. 

Some people want their passion to be a hobby, something that they can enjoy doing on weekends on and off when they have the time or money. Some people claim to be passionate travellers, most that say this seem to be more 'escaping tourists'. The problem with this approach to passion is that the expectation of enjoyment is inherent. Passion doesn't live here either. It could, but the assumption of what passion should be likely prevents the experience.

Others want their passion to be something socially acceptable, the kind of thing that others will regard in high esteem. An activity that signals a status or a value with which one sees desirable to be associated. Some choose charity work, working with children or similar activities. Passion won't be found here either. If acceptance from others is a requirement, no good deed will bring the personal depth for passion.

Many look to belief systems. A way to live life, a path to follow. There are any number of these kinds of offerings, each with a set of traditions that must be adhered to and revered in order to remain loyal to the system. As blasphemous as it is, passion can't live here either.

There is an increasing number of people that are waiting for passion to strike or fall into their laps. Sitting immersed in television, online discussions, gaming or a good book. It doesn't matter what you consume, passion will not flourish in this environment either. Consumption is not a path to passion and the more one eats in this way, the more hunger.

Passion is not something that can be bound by a set of rules as the process of passion looks to destroy the rule book itself. It cannot be found for where it lays is inside and it must be brought out as creation and expression of who one is at the core. And who one truly is cannot be restricted by the demands of others, limited to a group average or popularity contest for if passion is at play, passion does not care how it appears to others, only that it is true to itself. No amount of giving will buy passion no matter how many children are saved, how clean the environment gets, passion is selfish and demands all resources. Pleasure cannot create passion as pleasure is experienced as an evaluation of events, passion is too busy to waste the energy to evaluate. And passion cares nought for fun, fun is short lived, passion plays the long game where joy may come or not but only looking back through the years an it be felt. Passion demands a path to truth, not a belief in truths so no belief system can satisfy the hunger as the passion will keep questioning until traditions are no more.

And it is a hunger.

One that will continually demand to be fed an ever increasing movement towards the end goal though the end is well past any vanishing points in the distance. Passion can continue forever, a life long journey of discovery. Wherever the path leads, passion will walk.

Or stop.

And a new passion can begin.  

In my opinion there are no set rules for passion but it will probably take a large amount of work and will likely be the most difficult thing one ever attempts. Passion is a soul eater and will consume all on offer given the chance. Once the passion begins, the problem is not in the following of it, but the attempt to resist its constant limitless gaze and pull on the heart and mind. 

We have been unfortunately brainwashed to view work as something to be avoided, something we do to give us the resources to enjoy luxuries, space. We rarely take a step back and question this and wonder why so many of us have a hole that we just can't fill, no matter how much me have or how much we do. We rarely question what we are taught to collect and guided to achieve. We live our lives in a semi-fugue state, following the sounds of other people's voices telling us where to turn. 

Passion doesn't listen, why do we?

This is not a guide although it may be for some. It is written to perhaps inspire or it could tear apart. There is no truth in these words except that which you find but do not believe them. Test them instead. Prove me wrong or right, I do not care either way. None of the things I mentioned are bad things to do and like I said at the start, the responsibility is ours as individuals. But, I hope that you become serious if you are not already and raise the question 'What is my passion?' and do all you can to find out what that means for you. 

The world needs more passionate people in all fields, all areas, all traditions, all activities to rip the rule books apart and make paths toward truth. We may arrive at different times and by different roads, but I think we will all be in the same place eventually.

Taraz
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