Blaze Unlimited Pty Ltd

HR Consultancy & Career Coaching 

Hi

 If passion lights the path, its courage that enables you to take it.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about passion lately.  About how some people seem to live a life fuelled by it and others don’t even know what they’re passionate about.  What I wanted to do today we perhaps debunk a few myths and misconceptions about passion.  Particularly because I think we are inundated with self-help message about “living a life with passion” or “Follow your passion to achieve wealth, health and posterity” or some variation on a theme.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think passion is important and it’s nice to be around passionate people (most of the time anyway) but I think we’re under too much pressure to have it, know it and follow it.  Here are some of my thoughts anyway. 

People mistakenly believe that passion is something that’s going to be instantly recognisable the moment you ask yourself what it is that you’re passionate about.  Like it’s a big, bright burning beacon that stands out wherever you are.   

Personally, I don’t think it starts like that.  I don’t think you can be passionate about something until you’ve spent some time pursuing it.  Until you’ve invested some of yourself and your energy into it.  Until you’ve experienced some trials and tribulations as a result of it.  The more time you spend following it the brighter and the clearer I think it gets.  But to get to that point first you must follow a dim, glimmer of an idea, thought or feeling.  The first few times may be wrong but you will build up a clearer picture of your passions if you explore.  You don’t often grow, develop and educate yourself by standing still.  You need to move.  Conceptually, emotionally and mentally, as well as physically.   

People think that once you know what your passion is that everything else falls away.  That all the barriers, adversity, fears and challenges simply disappear…  This is complete rubbish.  You may get focused, determined and excited but all those barriers remain.  In fact, I think that people who follow their passion are incredibly courageous.  Why, because they often take a radical departure from the norm, from the mainstream ideas of respectable or acceptable.  Of what society says they “should” do.  They take risks, often huge ones – like the boost juice owner who took a second mortgage on her family home to start the business.  They often go against the opinions of their friends, family and colleagues.  They put themselves in risky situations - like any of the journalists or aid workers in war-torn countries.  Because they court failure but forge ahead anyway.  

I know many people who look at courageous people and think “if only I was fearless like that?” and then turn wistfully away from what they really want. 

A friend of mine sent me a quote about courage that I particularly liked. I’m not going to get it word for word but you’ll get the gist of it. 

“Courage is not the absence of fear.  It’s feeling the fear and doing what you know you have to anyway.” 

What do you think?  Ask yourself, what would you do if you were called courageous?

Let me know your thoughts… you can post your comments on our blog or respond to this newsletter. 

As always, the tips and approaches above are sometimes enough to get unstuck but many of our clients need additional support and guidance. 

If you would like to talk more about how we can help you with your plans and ambitions please feel free to give our office a call on 0402 054 303. 

Have a great September and thanks to all of you who are sending those great referrals.  It’s particularly special and affirming for us.

Warm Regards

Sean