What we do is one thing. How we do it is another. If there is one thing that sets apart the ordinary from the extraordinary, it is the why behind the what. It is easy to see that those doing great things, or living at a higher level, are doing so with a better attitude and increased passion.
We often think that not doing the right things is what holds us back, that our methods and techniques are what stifle or limit us. I believe we all know what to do, and most of us go through the motions, doing most of the right things, but lack the energy and enthusiasm that drives the super successful.
If you show me someone at the top of their game, getting extraordinary results in their work, or making a huge impact on the world, I will show you someone who is fueled by passion. It is the passion that not only gets the fire burning, but keeps it burning.
Why was the work you are doing so much more exciting in the beginning? Why was your relationship so passionate and exciting when it started? Why do you start a new workout, or new year resolution, with such enthusiasm and energy? Everything we do tends to start with that passion that is required to get thigs off the ground. So why do they all fizzle over time?
Think of a camp fire. It requires a bit more work to get it going. You have to gather the wood, clear an area, stack the wood just right, add some paper or kindling, and strike the match to get it lit. Initially it takes off, the fire roars, the wood crackles, and the heat pours off. The only way to keep that fire burning is to tend to it continuously. You must move the logs around, stoke the stack, and most importantly, continue to add more wood.
Most areas of your life start with that roaring fire, but now, are merely smoldering. Like a camp fire at the end of the night, your work, relationships, finances, and health are merely embers smoldering in a pile of ashes. You’ve let the fire die out, the flames have disappeared, and you’re getting little to no heat anymore.
Life is a lot like that fire… things burn brightly at first, when we are tending to it with passion, but things burn out when left unattended. Life, like that fire, can be restored, renewed, and reignited. That fire can roar again. You can have that intense heat once again.
The first step is understanding and believing that you can reignite your life. Work can be meaningful again. Relationships can be filled with love and intensity again. You can rebuild or maximize your finances. And you can turn your health around, regaining the vitality and energy you once had.
The second step is doing the work to make that change happen. While there are lots of steps and tips that I could share to help make that happen, there is one thing that is essential to get things going. Like the initial spark that gets that camp fire started, you MUST have passion. Passion is defined as “a strong feeling or emotion.” I liked another definition that I found better… which is “a strong and barely controllable emotion.” That’s what you need to be looking for, barely controllable emotion. It’s this kind of power and intensity that fuels the lives that we all want and long for.
Close your eyes and see your work, relationships, finances, health, and life overall exactly how you always dreamed it could be. Now strike that match, add the passion that makes it all happen, and go rebuild the life you were designed to live. Live… with… PASSION!
