What's your passion?

[caserri]

A couple of years ago I was Skyping with an old member here and we were discussing the drive one must have to make it in this business. He told me that he has always been motivated by money and ways to make it. He went so far as to say it was his "passion". This intrigued me. I envied his passion and it made me think about what I'm passionate about and I couldn't think of anything. I told him that, and there was a tone of pity in his voice.

Almost 2 years later, I still think about that conversation. I find myself wrestling with the question of passion and what I'm passionate about. I get down on myself because I have no passion for anything. Granted, I'm passionate when it comes to my wife and children but that is different than what I'm talking about here. I'm referring to the sustaining motivation and drive someone feels to accomplish something. Since that conversation, I've tried various things that I enjoy doing hoping to become passionate about it. While I enjoy many things in life, most of these things fall short of becoming a passion of mine. They just remain "enjoyable experiences."

Maybe as I get older and grow more tired, I have less desire and time to make the effort? Maybe I'm just suffering from some midlife crisis? Whatever it is, I just can't find my passion.

So, what are you guys truly passionate about? I mean besides family, which should go without saying. I'm talking about what drives you? Why are you excited to get out of bed in the morning? What are you working towards? Lately, I'm just trying to make it through the day alive only to get up and do it again.

--Steven

[pdox]

Hi Steven, 

 

First is there a purpose behind the name change or is it just part of the mid life crisis.

 

I would like to suggest that your definition of passion may need reworking. I don't know you through personal conversations, but I do feel like I know you from the commitment you have made to this forum and the thoughtful, challenging, and dare I say passionate post that you contribute. The perseverance and  concern that you have exhibited in not just maintaining, but growing this community could certainly be read as passion. How you derive joy or happiness or satisfaction from such a project may not line up with how you view passion in other people.

 

That being said, I can very much relate to your concern. If I had to guess, you are probably the 3rd or 4th kid in a large family and had a lot of decisions and directions placed on you by older siblings. I'm in my mid 40's, started my family late and have enjoyed taking on the role of being the at home Dad, but it certainly is not a individual or passionate undertaking. I have come to uneasy terms with my own seeming lack of passion throughout my life and find my better days are ones that I don't try to plan or direct too stringently. I continue to be curious about a wide range of things in life and try to learn something new everyday, but I recognize that this is not the same as a consuming and ecstatic drive. 

 

Thanks for the topic and I hope we hear from folks that can identify and describe that singular drive.

 

Daniel

[Rick]

Great post pdox, what C has done with this forum could be described as none other than passion. 

 

I have a hard time identifying my passion as well.  I think it's entrepreneurship in general.  From age 28-35 I was passionate about fantasy football and even developed a website devoted to FF strategy, etc - we had 8-10 part time writers cranking out cheatsheets, a pre-season DraftKit, newsletters, etc.  Back in 2007 we were touted as the most accurate fantasy site in the New York Times and a year later won the experts accuracy contest on what is now called fantasypros.com - But eventually, we went the way of the dinosaur as new technologies were developed and couldn't keep up.  In fact, back around 2003-2004 (during the online poker boom) I first came up with the idea that sites like FanDuel and DraftStreet have now taken and run with - daily fantasy gaming.  Ideas and the thought of building something from nothing is really my passion.  But I get bored easily once I feel I've mastered it and move on.  So maybe my passion is change?  It scares me in a way, because I know that right now I continue to be passionate about my bulk business and building a route towards the ultimate goal of replacing my full-time income.  But what happens then?  Will I be able to keep grinding at that point?  

Wow, where did this post come from?  I feel like I'm in the chair with Freud!  I guess I'm in the same boat with ya C, still trying to find my passion.  

Here's a thought though - maybe it's the pursuit of your passion and staying curious to all things in life (more than finding it) that matters most.  

[engineer1984]

I've thought a lot about this topic too.  I think we find it easy to define passion as an particular activity, such as swimming or playing basketball.  The Olympics are a perfect example of passions that are easy to define.

 

However, there are others (myself included) that have a more complicated, but more basic, passion.  I find that my passion is probably best described as being independent and finding ways to solve new challenging problems on my own or through my own process.  So I would give thought to the fact that passions can be something deeper inside of you, instead of easily seen on the surface.  If vending is your passion, great.  If you are vending because of deeper passion of yours (independence, problem solving, entrepreneurship, etc) then that is just as good.  I wouldn't get too swayed by others because that is when you start to question yourself.  

 

The other thing that I have found useful in the endeavor to 'know thyself' is to write a journal and go off on adventurous outings.  I've ridden my motorcycle many miles to discover new places, I just recently rode a bicycle across state lines by myself, and I've traveled via car out West for many many miles.  But even going for a walk or going to a place you've never been before in town or a few hours away is healthy.  For me, when I am shut off from the world and on my own I can make decisions with much more clarity than I can make them when I'm busy.

 

I love climbing and mountain biking, so I find excuses to do these things as often as possible.  I've realized that I love climbing mainly because it scares me so much.  I have actual nightmares about things going wrong while climbing in anticipation of a big climb.  I'm not kidding.  But when I overcome that fear and push forward, I feel great.  That feeling is what I am passionate about.  I love that feeling.  

 

I don't love climbing in the sense that wish I was the next climbing star or that I wish I could start the next great climbing company and I think that's okay. : )

[The Mage]

Do you need a passion? Did you have an issue before this discussion? If you felt fine before that discussion, and you feel bad now, I don't see the benefit.

 

I have many interests, and things I pursue. But are they my passion? I am not sure. I got into vending a few years back, and I was obsessed with it. I learned all I could, and tried to move myself forward in this industry. But even while I was doing that, I posted my goals here, and I defined vending as a stepping stone for me. My next step was to move into real estate. So was vending my passion if I had an exit strategy?

 

Well I did buy a duplex, so I have moved to my next step, but is real estate my passion? I am focused heavily on that right now, but I am also looking into investing as a passive partner. So can this be a passion when I want to set things up so I don't do anything? Even with my duplex I am spending time and money so that maintenance calls are rare.

 

What does this mean? I am working, doing things that are not my passion. Maybe I am doing it passionately, but I don't see this as my passion. As I work on these things, my goal there is freedom.

 

I have spent a lot of time reading, researching, and thinking about wealth, and money. But is it a passion? I treat it as a puzzle to be solved. I find it interesting, and fascinating. But does that make it my passion? Again the goal here is freedom. Get enough cash flow coming in to more then cover all your expenses, and you don't need to worry about it again.

 

Every day I brush my teeth. Maybe I'm being passionate about not loosing my teeth, but it is a daily ritual for me. I kind of see what I do in the world as the same thing. I don't need to be passionate about brushing my teeth, but it needs to be done. I often let my mind wander, or do something else at the same time if I can.

 

Really what's important for me is enjoying life. I don't passionately pursue enjoyment, but it is my goal.

 

I think a person can enjoyably achieve goals without needing to be passionate. Just having interests is enough.

 

I think the main idea is to sit down, and decide what kind of life a person wants. This is usually called a goal setting workshop. But it is really designing a life, and setting up a life plan.

 

Make a list of what you want out of life. Then make a list of what you do not want out of life. Then decide where you want to be at various stages of your life. 1 year, 5 years, 10, and beyond. Then work backwards to today, as if you are remembering how you got there, instead of how you are going to get there.

 

Also it should be decided what you will no longer accept in your life. If it is something you do, live with, accept, allow people to do to you, that you no longer want to happen, realize you have the power to change that.

 

One of the quotes that I have been thinking of lately is:

 

“The biggest roadblock to a great life is a good life.”

 

If we have problems in our lives, we are motivated to change them. But if we're doing okay, that one piece of motivation goes away.

 

Recently I did notice this in myself. Life was fine, so my motivation was less then it should have been. When I thought of this, I realized I wanted to make a change. I thought of all the people who have their mid life crises, and decided to manufacture one for myself. My self directed mid life crisis, planed out and orchestrated by me.

 

It seems to be working, but I will have to keep up my motivation to keep moving ahead.

[snack dude]

too deep, too heavy for me

Waking up in the morning is my passion, After that everything is a plus...