A Little Louder Please!

What drives our passions??

I realised earlier today that when I'm passionate about doing something it's because there is a motivation from some part of me that I don't consciously acknowledge. Passion is so important because it's the catalyst to greatness. I'm fairly certain that nobody has ever achieved anything monumental without having been propelled by that primal and instinctive force which causes people to say: 'I can swim the Channel' or 'I can travel the world solo with nothing but a backpack' or 'I can write a novel' - in my mind passion is at the core of it all.

So what drives it? Where does it come from?

To answer this I began to think more about how I naturally linked passion to achievement and had to stop for a minute to drill a bit deeper. Sure we can say that passion inspires great, awe inducing accomplishments - but what about the daily bits and pieces which fly completely under the radar...? Is passion to be found there also?

An artist who painstakingly hovers over a canvas for hours upon hours perfecting each tiny detail, only to finally lean the finished work against the wall of their basement along with the umpteen others which have never seen the light of day. A single parent who lives miles from the support or input of extended family who spends every waking hour tending to the needs of their kids without gratitude or acknowledgement for the feat. A food lover who cooks incredible michelin style meals for one from a book or something they saw on tv. If passion isn't to be found at the heart of these everyday goings on then there is some other undiscovered force at work!

These examples are linked to hobbies and love though right? So maybe we can go deeper still...

Say you work a dead beat job which doesn't excite or challenge you. You simply show up, pay your dues and clock out when the day is done. At face value there is no passion here, no joie de vivre... Or is there? For some, perhaps not. For others though I'd argue that the fact that they are up and out each day doing what they do is the seed of passion. The choice which says 'I can either do for myself what needs to be done to survive - or I can do nothing and have it handed to me' is a remarkable distinction. It's easy to say this because of the number of individuals living in this country who choose the latter option. So in my eyes anyone who still believes in 'making the effort' is operating under the influence of passion.

Simply put I concluded that for me, passion is the spark inside every one of us which whispers 'Live.' I say that it whispers because for many that's all it is - that whisper which keeps them on their daily grind, doing their bit to survive. For others passion has a stronger, louder voice - 'Live!' ...and so they do, seeking education and exploring culture and people and knowledge. And for some passion is the loudest and most distinct voice of all the daily noise which surrounds us - 'LIVE!!' These folks just don't tick unless they are marching to the beat of that command. Their passions bubble up and spill over into their abilities, their work, their love, their hobbies - then it becomes contagious and starts infecting those around them... It has legs you know?

If you were to ask me on any given day what I would change or improve about myself, one of the top things on my list would be 'I want to be more passionate'. I feel like its the key to so much potential, it's almost scary. Examples of people who 'get it' are all around us and they inspire me hugely. People who are brave enough to start businesses inspire me. People who are fiercely dedicated to causes and movements which serve the interests of others inspire me. People who put in work day in day out on a personal dream that nobody else understands and yet they do it tirelessly just waiting for lightening to strike inspire me. Passion itself inspires me!

So until I reach the level of passion that I aspire to, all I can do is continue to stoke what's already there and with ears keenly tuned listen and wait for the voice to get even louder. What's great is that because passion begets passion - I know for a certainty that I'm already on my way. Anyone else feel like turning up the volume?