I don't know about you, but I love nothing more than working with passionate people.
I recently chatted with David Smorgon for my Legends of Leadership video series. He just lit up when he started talking about passion. ‘Passion shows me you’re interested,’ he told me. ‘Passion shows your concern, passion shows you’re connected, passion shows you’re going to give yourself the best chance of being successful. Passion shows me you care.’ (click here to watch)
But what about those times when you just can’t tap into your passion? We’ve all been there - kids pushing all your buttons, rejected for that dream job, a difficult break-up, an ever-expanding to-do list, tragedy, deadlines and everything in between, draining every ounce of energy and passion you have. Then it happens, you start to lose focus, and every challenge feels like a chore & problems turn to stress. These feelings become overwhelming, and they don’t stop at you.
Recent research in the face of COVID shows that people who love what they do are nearly four times more likely to develop higher resilience. Do you want to know why? Because Joy is infectious. Think about the last time you were at a movie, watching a comedy, laughing with the rest of the audience, experiencing the “joy” together. It spreads like wildfire and it’s incredibly powerful when you authentically enjoy every happy moment; the more you experience, the more you seek! So, the key really is to create your foundation on a plethora of building blocks made of pure joy - that’s when you will truly live your passion every day. Despite the ups and downs, life brings, genuine passion will always keep you on a stalwart path!
So, since passion is such a fundamental key to developing your Resilience, the next step is to figure out how to get and more importantly sustain your passion. Start by asking yourself these simple questions about what you do:
1. What am I passionate about? What energizes me? What satisfies me?
2. Why did I choose to spend my precious time on this? What is the meaning I get from it that makes it all worthwhile?
Ask yourself these questions. Take some time and think them through. Step back from any distractions and reignite the fire inside. Focusing on the things you love doing might not convince you to change your path - or you might not even need to - but it will definitely make it easier for you and your team to get past the little ups and downs that confront us every day.
If you want to change things in your circle of life, start taking the driver’s seat. Help steer the resilience in those around you, by first driving passion in yourself. You’ll be amazed at the results!
So, ask yourself these questions today, and every tomorrow, and let me know your thoughts.
Life’s Good.
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