The Nature of Passion – Chapter I Part IV of the upcoming book ”Find Your Passion”

The Nature of Passion: Chapter I Part III of the upcoming book ”Find Your Passion”

So, what’s the nature of passion? Passion’s nature is defined by its core:

1. Components
2. Qualities   

In the previous article we went through the six key components of passion, which are your:

1. Values
2. Purpose
3. Vision
4. Interests
5. Favorite Strengths
6. Favorite Skills

Regarding passion’s core qualities, there are four of them that primarily define the nature of passion:

1. Dynamism
2. High Energy
3. Magic
4. Love

1) Dynamism

*1 Dynamism, originated from the Greek word ”dynamis”, which means power, is the ”quality of being characterized by vigorous activity and progress”. So, passion is dynamic by its very nature for two main reasons: 1) It’s a powerful emotion. *2 Strong and barely controllable. 2) It’s an emotion itself, given our first definition.

And emotions are not flat or fixed but dynamic by their very nature. Why? Because emotion is *3 literally energy in motion, or e-motion if you prefer. *4 The most common definition of energy is the work that a certain force (gravitational, electromagnetic, etc) can do. Due to a variety of forces, energy has many different forms (gravitational, electric, heat, etc).  There is no scientific consensus on a definition for emotion, but in terms of energy and its relation to it, we could support that there is a match in at least a few forms of energy.

1. Electric energy 

David Hawkins, MD, Ph.D. *5  demonstrates in his book ”Power vs. Force” scientific proof out of 20 years investigation and millions of participants, that emotions have measurable energy and can either foster or negate actual cell life. Dr. Hawkins’s groundbreaking work explains how a person’s log level – the measurable energy level in their electromagnetic field – increases as a person experiences more positive and powerful emotions. Hawkins’s most interesting finding was that cells actually died when the log level was below 200μW, where the emotions of shame, guilt, confusion, fear, hatred, pride, anger, anxiety, regret, despair, blame, and hopelessness reside – against the positive emotions of courage, acceptance, beauty, love, joy and peace. The levels of consciousness have been calibrated as to the progressive power of their energy fields. The higher the level of calibration, the higher the frequency. In physics, the higher the frequency, the greater the power. These calibrations start at zero and continue on to 1000.

” More energy means higher levels of operating power for our consciousness. If you apply time in the equation–> the longer we stay in high energy levels the more intelligence we access and can integrate into our being ” – Nicola Tesla – 

2. Chemical energy :

*5 Chemical energy is the potential of a chemical substance to undergo a transformation through a *6 chemical reaction to transform other chemical substances. Examples include batteries, food, gasoline, etc.

So, how is it related to our emotions? *7 In psychology and philosophy, emotion typically includes subjective, conscious experience characterized primarily by psycho-physiological  expressions, mental states, and biological reactions. The last ones are chemical reactions, which encompass changes that only involve the positions of electrons in the forming and breaking of chemical bonds between atoms. Breaking or making of chemical bonds involves energy.

So, passion, as a feeling, is not an exception. Being energy, it’s constantly in motion. Remember that *8 energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only converted from one form to another. Besides that, passion as a behavior, is dynamic as well. It’s constantly changing and evolving. Why? Because you are constantly changing and evolving; by doing or omitting specific actions, day-in day-out. This way, you shape your behavior, thus your passion. But what determines the specific actions and behavior you will take, as well as when you should take them? Your values, life vision, purpose, interests, favorite skills and favorite strengths (passion’s key components), as well as your life experiences. The last ones affect, and sometimes shape, your passion’s key components, depending on the intensity and the impact they have on you.

For example, your marriage and new born children might shape your values, life vision and interests. Before them, career might have been your top priority, and your top value might have been social contribution and impact through work. Nevertheless, having a family could change your top value to family itself! Additionally, your life vision might change because now your kids and spouse might be a part of what you consider ”ideal” now. Besides your values and vision, your interests might change too. You might start reading more material with baby care content, and generally educating yourself more on the child upbringing.

In other words, our passion changes and evolves, because we as a whole change and evolve. What you’re passionate about right now does not necessarily mean that you ”have to” continue being passionate about the same behavior 5, 10, 20 years from now. Remember: If passion feels like an obligation of the past, it’d be time to let your ego go (”What do you mean by ego? I didn’t spend so much money, energy and time on my passion just to decide to change it!?”), and move on. As the time passes by, you get more new experiences, and learn more things about yourself and who you really are. You discover new interests, hobbies, preferences. Your priorities, goals, aspirations change; so do your values, life vision and purpose.

Therefore, your #1 passion can and is likely to change in the future. So, the answer to the previous question ” Does passion last/ Will it be the same forever?” is maybe. What is certain is that the quite common social belief  ”Once you find it, you’ll never leave it” should not be considered as an unquestionable universal truth, in spite of many examples of successful people who found their passion, some of them at a very early age, and followed it till the end of their life, or are still following it. Your passion might change. It might stay the same for the rest of your life. The take-away here is to keep on exploring and being curious about yourself. In this book, you’ll discover and pursue your #1 passion for this period of your life, as well get the right tools and strategies through the ”Find Your P.A.S.S.I.O.N method” to ”check in” with it when appropriate (approximately every 12 months) or when you feel to. Remember:

Your passion is not your identity.

It’s a powerful expression of it.

2) High Energy

This is the typical trait that most of us we’re familiar with when we talk about passion. When you’re in your passion state, you feel that anything is possible. In fact, it is. You feel inconceivably empowered and invincible. You have accessed your ultimate power and drive, that can have a global impact and the change the world forever. So high is the intensity of this energy, that anyone who approaches or generally interacts with you can feel it – whether that means playing the guitar in public or being laser-focused on a project you work on, losing track of time completely.

3) Magic

Nowadays, we can’t explain with 100% accuracy why someone is passionate about something, from music and athletics to physics and teaching. There’s a mystery here; or an unspoken truth if you wish; or both. So profound is this mystery of nature, that even the person who follows their passion might not be able to explain why they’re triggered by one or another behavior, their passion. This is magic. We do know a few things about ourselves, but finally we can’t explain (yet) the ultimate source of your passion. Perhaps, because it might not be as simple as we think, but quite a complex and delinquent combination of a great deal of factors, including our personality, biochemistry, environment and external stimuli, and experiences.

Besides that, what is also magical about passion is the state of ”flow” you’re into. You’re in a different world. Your world. There, you’re 100% yourself, have the time of your life and feel that only does time fly away, but, furthermore, it doesn’t even exist! This is magic.

4) Love

An approach, if not the answer, to the question ”What is the ultimate source of passion?” is love. By love I mean:

1. Love for what you do
2. Love for people 

       1. Love for what you do

Passion can be considered as an expression of love. You can also call it ” Tough love ” (if you thought of lust, you have a dirty mind!). So much do you care about it, that love is inevitable. There is a word that beautifully articulates the love you have for your passion: ”Meraki”. It’s of Greek origin and means the love, hard work, time and care you commit to something you love.

      2. Love for people

Your passion is not just about you, as we’ve already underlined. It starts with you but it goes above and beyond yourself; by using it for the best service of other people and the world. Love for what you do gives you fulfillment. Helping others by doing what you love gives you the ultimate fulfillment and happiness: transcendence, the highest human need.

Love for people is a virtue deeply intrinsic to our human nature. Someone can easily draw this conclusion when they notice babies and infants. They give you pure unconditional love; and when you follow your passion, you also ignite this pure love of yours, your ”baby-love”. Remember anything from these glorious times? Your answer to this doesn’t actually matter; because once you discover your passion it’ll be a universally unquestionable ”YES”.

Can I have more than one passions at the same time?

You can have more than one passion expressions for a specific period of your life, whether it’s for 1, 3, 5, 10 or 20 years. This is what most people actually mean when they mention being ”multi-passionate”. In fact, it’s the same passion expressed in different ways. Otherwise, you’ll have to dig a little bit deeper to discover your top passion for this period of your life. Remember: Passion, as a feeling and behavior, is broader than a specific activity or stimulus, regardless of how much you love it. On the other hand, you can use your favorite activities to clarify this feeling and behavior. Consider it this way: Your passion expressions are the pieces of your ”passion puzzle”. And we’ll make sure you both find all of the pieces and put them in the right place to ”solve your puzzle”. So, if you’re ”multi-passionate”, you’ll also get the clarity you want. Just keep on reading.

Feel free to connect with me on Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as check my upcoming book ”Find Your Passion”, by visiting my personal site JimPanos360.com

*1 See English Oxford Dictionary https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/dynamism 

*2 See English Oxford Dictionary https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/passion 

*3 Based on the Latin verb emovere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out’ + movere, ”move”.  https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/emotion

*4 https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/energy.html  

*5  See Power Vs Force p.90-91 by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., and relevant article on Forbes magazine https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2018/06/02/emotions-have-energy-what-energy-are-you-sending/#f5d78a254578

*6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_energy

*7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_reaction

*8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion

*9 See sciencedaily.com/terms/energy.htm: ”Energy is a conserved quantity, meaning that it cannot be created or destroyed, but only converted from one form into another”.