The Color of Passion
You are created by a passionate, artistic God. If follows then that as His children, each of us is designed with a passionate purpose that, when discovered and followed, saturates life with vibrant color.
For some, finding that colorful passion is as easy as a brush stroke. For others, it's like trying to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with a toothpick. Without passion for what we do, however, we live a bland – and often unhealthy – existence. Passion doesn't just add color to your world – it provides impetus for the heart, mind, spirit, and body. And discovering and following your God-given passion in life can make for a healthier you.
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Leslie Martin thrives on helping people find that healthy place. As a career and executive coach, she serves as president of the Highlands Consulting Group, a Washington, D.C., based company that helps individuals discover their passion and put it to use.
"Passion is that divine spark that fuels direction," Martin says. "It isn't necessarily seen, but you know it when you experience it. You feel it at a deep level. And that desire to do something meaningful is in the heart of every person."
Martin believes most people don't know who they are and therefore struggle in what they do. Often, they find themselves stuck in careers they initially pursued because of money, parental wishes, or others' advice. For those stuck in this path, the ramifications extend beyond emotional stress and overall dissatisfaction into physical illness. It's common knowledge that stress can cause headaches, stomachaches, muscle aches, loss of appetite, high blood pressure, lack of sleep, overall fatigue, and even depression.
A Perfect Example
It's possible that the happiest, healthiest, most successful people on earth are those who are living out their God-given passion. And while "success" has twisted meanings in today's product-driven world, it's hard to imagine anyone more successful than the man responsible for changing human history, Jesus Christ. As the prime example of living out passion in a healthy manner, Jesus was as passionate as they come.
Is Your Fire Dwindling?
From Leadership Dynamics, by Greg Morris:
Passion not only gets you going but also keeps you motivated. Why do we sometimes lack passion? Here are four reasons:
- Routine. In the predictability of life, we've allowed something precious to become familiar. We've adopted a "been there, done that" attitude.
- Acceptance and approval. Passion both draws and repels people. In our desire to be liked, we've sometimes turned down our "heat" to an acceptable level. We've replaced passion with a description of passion.
- Apathy with age. We can't prevent the march of time, but we can prevent hardening of the spiritual arteries. Apathy is not a matter of the mind as much as it is an issue of the heart.
- No purpose beyond ourselves. We've lost sight of our vision and have failed to see the big picture as it relates to God's Kingdom.
- What gets you excited and happy about life?
- What do you notice that you are continually attracted to?
- What would you be doing if you could truly do what you want to do? Put another way, what would you do for free?
- What did you really enjoy doing as a child?
- Are you more interested in people or tasks?
- Do you prefer things indoors or outdoors?
From What's Next? Women Redefining Their Dream in the Prime of Life by Rena Pederson. Adapted from the September 2001 issue of Christian Health, p. 14-17. Used by permission. For subscription information, contact LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service toll free 1-800-458-2772.
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