Geneva's Blog

Good evening, my valued Readers,

Tonight I’m thinking about how our passion or desires can be the absolute best indicator for our path forward in life, but very often we don’t prioritize our passion. It is such a shame! We don’t see it as being relevant in “real life” situations. When I say “passion or desires” I am not referring to that fervent urge to run down the incredibly selfish and irresponsible driver that just cut you off on Hwy 65, perform a citizen’s arrest, and give an impromptu driver’s ed refresher course (Oh, is that just me? Okay then, insert your own surface level “passion” there and follow along). I am also not talking about passion as something you enjoy, like having a passion for a well-brewed and delicious mug of coffee. When I am talking about passion, I’m talking about something you care about, something meaningful to you. Merrian-Webster defines passion as “an intense, driving emotion or deep interest that compels action”.

Some of us instantly know our passion, something near and dear to us. On the other hand, many of us can look at the world, see endless possibilities, and feel useless not knowing what we’re supposed to do about any of them. So how do we identify our passion(s)? I have a couple of ways that I identify passion. The first one is the most obvious. Is there anything near and dear to you that you care about deeply and you wish you could be a part of whether to support, change, or fix it? The possibilities seem endless. This could be raising awareness for the disease of a sick friend or family member. The orphan crisis. Health and fitness. Really good food. It could be the lack of healthy food options at your kids’ school cafeteria. The fact that no local coffee shops seem to be open past 6pm (seriously, what is the deal with that? Some people like to socialize over a cup of coffee in the evenings.) The other method I use to identify a passion is to ask – what really pisses you off? Is it healthcare costs? Politics? Lack of nutrition education in medical schools? Litter? Poor customer service? Be as specific as possible and then ask yourself why. Your answer might point to your passion. Remember, we are thinking of what we are passionate about, not necessarily something we already feel equipped to take care of.

Let’s zoom out for a second. Why is it so important? If I’m not being lazy and I am contributing in some way, isn’t that enough? Does it really matter if I enjoy it or find particular meaning in my life? YES! (Sorry, I know I just yelled that. But it deserves emphasis!). Ecclesiastes 9:10 says ”whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might”. Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” How successful do you think you will be working with all your strength and soul at something you have no passion for? You can for a while, but in the long term, if you attempt to throw yourself into something you do not feel has meaningful purpose for you, you will burn out.

1 Peter 4:10 says that we are each uniquely gifted to serve others. I put a lot of stock in that verse. It reminds me that I have been given an array of gifts (read that as abilities, experiences, personality quirks, relationships, and so on) that equip me to complete my Assignment. Whatever I am meant to do, I have been given the tools. Tell me there is not a joy (or a passion, if you will) that comes from doing exactly what you were equipped to do. I can’t believe that we are so intricately and masterfully designed, created, and gifted so that we can do work we aren’t especially good at or passionate about. I do believe that we have each been given incredible gifts that we had better not let go to waste. Normally when we talk about gifts we are thinking of skills or talents, but I think it also includes passions. Passion for something is a gift that shouldn’t be dismissed. Passion will assist us in consistently giving all our strength and heart to whatever it is we do.

Okay, great! We are passionate! What do we do now? Well, it’s getting pretty late so we’d better save that one for next time. Talk to you soon!