Skye and I just got back from a car ride we took so we could get Alexander to take his daily nap (yeah… I thought starting a business is challenging… sometimes it’s easier than getting a two year to take a nap!), and while we were out she said something she heard on the radio today (she’s been driving a lot):
Just because you’re passionate about something, such as starting a business or changing your diet or whatever it may be, doesn’t mean that this new endeavor is going to be easy.
Skye went on to say that statement came from a husband and wife who were being interviewed on air because they had recently written a book about living a life of passion. Basically, discover what you’re passionate about and then go do that (there was a similar post I really enjoyed by John Saddington over at Tentblogger, check it out here).
And one of the bits of feedback that this couple has been constantly confronted with is people who have read their book (if I can find out who they are I’ll link it up, but right now Skye doesn’t remember who they were) and then contact this couple and say, “I read you’re book. Now I’m trying to go after what I’m passionate about, and it’s hard! I thought that since I was passionate about it it’d be easier for me.”
The couple went on to say that this is one of the biggest myths out there regarding passions, that simply because you’re passionate about something pursuit of that passion is going to come easily to you.
No, no, and NO! They say!
The couple went on to say that passion is not only something that is very heartfelt, but the definition also implies pain and suffering. “It’s not called ‘Passion of the Christ’ because it was all joy and roses!” Here’s a link to some definitions of “passion“. Notice that one of the definitions about 60% of the way down the page is: 9. the sufferings and death of a Christian martyr
Wow! Talk about something I’ve been wrestling with lately (that’s why Skye listened to the interview was because she thought it would be useful for me (don’t I have the best wife ever!!!!)).
Ever since this update on the status of the goals for the 90 Days to a SMASHING Success! project I have been feeling a little down. Honestly, it’s been before the status update, because I think about my progress, or lack there of, towards the goals I establish on a regular basis.
I’ve been thinking, and have actually said to Skye a few times, “If A Better Way of Business is what’s on my heart, why isn’t it coming easier? Why is it so difficult to get this going? I thought it would be easier than this.”
And those are true, honest statements of feelings and thoughts I’ve had.
But over the past several days I came to the realization that just because I’m now chasing after something I’m passionate about, just because I am now pursuing something both near and dear to my heart, that does not mean it’s going to be easy.
It does not mean it is not going to take massive amounts of work and effort.
It does not mean that just because I created a project with a 90 day time frame that my “success” will happen in that same amount of time.
What it does mean is that I now know something that is very near and dear to my heart. I now know what I should be focusing my efforts and attentions on.
And when I’m upset, frustrated, and ready to throw in the towel, I can stop myself and ask, “Are you really going to give up your passion just because it’s not easy?! Are you really going to quit chasing after what’s in your heart because it’s not happening in the short amount of time that I arbitrarily established?! Seriously?!”
To that I say, “No. No I’m not going to give up and walk away from what’s on my heart. I will fight my way forward!”
So I boldly say to all of you who are reading this, “Just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean it’s going to come easily to you!”
But hopefully what that passion will do is when you’re down and others are thinking you’re out for the count, you’ll dig down deep into your heart and you’ll get back up. You’ll fight with all your strength to see your passions come to “life”. You won’t give up. You won’t give in.
~Ivan