Today let’s spend some time focusing on passion and purpose, how they differ, what they are, and how to figure out our own. PASSION It's about emotions and often centers on what makes us feel good, i.e., the whole 'do what you love' mindset. It is inward-facing and rooted in what matters to you personally. Google defines passion as a strong and barely controllable emotion. I imagine it as this inferno that burns hot. The problem with fires is typically they burn themselves out. Passion, as with an actual fire, has to be constantly fed and stoked. But let’s be honest, sustaining that level of energy, attention, and effort in real life becomes exhausting over time. It's a challenge to build a lifetime on something that requires us to continue creating enough fuel to sustain the emotional payoff. We need passion in our lives, but we can’t build our life on passion alone. We need more, and that is where purpose comes in. PURPOSE Purpose is the why behind what we do. It is our motivation, the reason we'll stay in the fight when things get hard. Purpose is outward-facing and primarily has its roots planted in a much bigger picture. It is more about doing for others. Google defines purpose as the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. Whereas passion can be all over the place, wild, and exciting, purpose is much more focused and intentional. Now that we know what differentiates the two, let's start asking ourselves some questions and listening to the words we speak. If you hear yourself saying something like “I wish there was…” or “someone needs to…”, perhaps those are places of purpose for you. Think back to when you were a child. What were some dreams you had? Often that childlike innocence held tons of purpose before the world messed it up by telling you what you should do. For me, the most important question to ask yourself is about the end of your days here. If you were standing in the back observing your funeral service, what would you hope people would say about you? When you think about your eulogy, the words spoken are about the person you became throughout your life and how you made people feel. So ask yourself, who do you want to become? In her book, The Wait of Success, author Valerie J. Lewis Coleman writes, “Passion without purpose leads to frustration. Purpose without passion leads to procrastination. Passion WITH purpose leads to success.” And I know we have all experienced these scenarios where one or the other was lacking, leaving us frustrated or avoiding the task like the plague! So, what next? First, I want to reiterate the importance of searching within yourself for these. Don’t get dictated by the list of “should" you were handed. If you are going to design a life based on your dreams, know you will not find your passion and purpose outside yourself. To get you started, here are the steps to take this week: Download the free pdf. Answer the questions. Take small steps toward practicing your purpose and passion. You deserve to live a life you flat adore. Living it on purpose with passion ensures you will. And remember, others are watching, and together we rise stronger, so let’s do this work for ourselves and those watching. Head here to find the blog version of the episode containing the free download for defining your purpose and passion. Follow us on: Instagram: @Coming-Out-Gold-Podcast Facebook: @Coming-Out-Gold-Podcast Podcast edited by: That Podcast Lady Royalty-free music from Pixaby.com
