Passion & Perspective

It can be easy to confuse passion with anger. Many people who consider themselves passionate are actually expressing themselves through rage, sadness, or grief. Communicating from this place can keep others at a distance and reduce opportunities to experience intimacy and be in touch with the things we really care about. When we have big reactions to things it is important to know whether it is a genuine feeling or an automatic response mechanism based on past experiences. When we feel hurt or angered by something it is helpful to pause and reflect. This hesitation can break the chain in habitual behaviors and bring us into the present. I am not saying to have feelings of anger or that it is ok for others to hurt us. I am suggesting being kind enough to oneself to take a deeper look inside to see the whole picture of what is going on. This work is not easy, or a perfect fix, but a daily practice.
My definition of passion is the excitement and enthusiasm for life. I believe the path to healing and to experience the true greatness of passion is to live freely in this moment. There are plenty of things to be angry about in life, but when we let the past leak into the present, we are no longer grounded in the now which creates an opening for old behaviors to take hold. If you can relate to being a passionate person who struggles with anger, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself. You are worth loving. We don’t have to fight for everything, it can flow, and we can heal. True passion is based on love. Let’s embrace it and reach for people and paths that encourage softness and gentleness. It takes time but you are worth it!