Living Your Life with Passion
This last week I was honored to be part of a Chamber of Commerce Leadership Delegation visiting another community. This was a fact finding trip – sharing successes and challenges of the host city – identifying those positives that we might apply in our community.
It would be an understatement to say that it was an incredible experience. Why was the trip such a success? As I reflected on the trip I came up with one word – Passion.
Passion is an emotion, a state of mind, a self driven attitude
The business and community leaders we visited with had an intense and positive energy for what they were doing and sharing. They were passionate about their message. The business and community leaders in our delegation were leaning forward, engaged, and ready to learn.
The experience got me thinking. What sets passionate people apart from others? Consider some of these observations:
People with Passion are ambitious
They think big. They surround themselves with other passionate people. I was with a group of leaders striving for more.
People with Passion are laser focused
They have clarity of purpose. Every decision they make is aligned with their passions.
People with Passion are proud of their story
They do not let others hold them back. They love what they are doing. They are confident in sharing their mission and vision and inviting others to be part of their cause.
People with Passion are community minded
They are active volunteers in civic organizations, non-profit boards, and other community initiatives. They are servant leaders. They understand the power of groups in making everyone smarter.
People with Passion work hard
They are doers. They forget to eat. They often times are so engaged in the work at hand that they lose track of time.
People with Passion are happy
They know what makes them happy. They consistently prioritize those things that matter most.
Finding Your Passion
Do you have clarity on your passions in life? Are the decisions your making daily and weekly aligned with your passions?
Not sure, well grab your journal, a notepad, or a napkin – find a quiet table at the mall, the library, or the park – and consider the following questions.
- What makes you happy – what captivates you at the deepest level?
- What are you reading? Who are you reading?
- Ask others about your passions? It is amazing the things that others see in us that we might be blind to? What dream are you always talking about?
- Who am I? What are my core values? What are the things that define me?
- What are you excellent at? Take inventory of your talents. Dig a little bit deeper.
Once you have identified your passion – go, act on it – make a difference in the world.
. . . go have an Awesome Week!
Tom Trabue theNextStep