The Passion Factor

After returning from a ten-day trip to Ecuador last month I have been filled with a new found sense of gratitude and happiness. For me, going away and coming back always sparks personal introspection. And in the weeks that have followed, I have found myself digging deep. Personally, professionally, and otherwise. In the midst of this thoughtfulness, one word keeps echoing in my head: Passion. And what better time to share a little of the good stuff – than on Valentine’s Day? 

Passion-fueled art in Minneapolis

The passion-echo started as a mere whisper of the word, and over the next several weeks, it grew into a full-on symphony. The spark ignited when I caught up with an old friend over tea. She’s naturally intuitive and being pregnant has amplified this gift. So, while she wanted to hear all about my recent excursion– she sensed that something was weighing on my heart. And she opened our conversation by asking me “what it was?”

She listened intently as I described my first week back - including a litany of unexpected professional and personal challenges, that when combined with my return, had left me feeling wounded and raw. My friend spoke gently: “Juliette, you always give more than 100 percent of yourself. Your passion is extraordinary. You need to focus on working with people who value that.”

There it was again. Passion. 

Fast forward from our tea-conversation two weeks and the passion-message had started to become overwhelming. Everywhere I looked, there were examples of people engaging their passion.

From the bike-store owner who ran his palm down the nicest cycle, touching it with the tenderness of a lover; to the client who asked me to help her prepare for a day-long strategic meeting – by surveying her team about their passions.

There’s the surprise gift I had received in the mail from a new friend titled “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.” And then, the conversation with my writer-friend whom when I shared with her how passion was swirling around me, perked up and said “that’s weird.” “Two weeks ago, my running blog was all about passion.” That’s when I decided it was time to write this post. I had titled The Passion Factor many months ago, but shelved it, as I was uncertain of the message.

I was beginning to feel like I was being stalked by a swarm of passion-crazed people. To say I was distracted is putting it mildly. In preparing for a business trip, my thoughts were literally floating away. I responded by upping my caffeine intake – coffee in the morning – coffee in the afternoon– thinking that perhaps the java jolt would provide me with the clarity and focus I desperately needed. No such luck. I was now more alert but still passion-pre-occupied.

The plane ride to Minneapolis provided some respite. Although I had packed The Element (which I was starting to privately refer to as The Passion), I poured over Forbes and Vanity Fair – thinking that perhaps some light reading would give me brief distraction from my passion-fueled frenzy.

The next afternoon, I met with a new friend and colleague. He’s in a business that’s environmentally conscious and during our first meeting I recall him describing himself as a “zealot.” I liked the guy. And I admired his openness and intelligence. I also found it curious that he would define himself in such a… how should I put it? Amorous way.

Our conversation quickly took a turn and before I knew it, my zealot-friend was passionately describing the feeling of joy he gets in helping humanity. “At the end of the day, it’s not about my retirement account,” he said. “I could care less about that. It’s about doing something meaningful for my fellow human beings.” His voice boomed with passion that was palpable. It was enough to make me sit back a bit. Here it was again. Live and in-person. Oozing out of him – a self-fueled fire.

Marshal Ferdinand Foch said, “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” Years ago, I was compelled to print this quote on the back of my business card and for awhile I would present it to people back-side-first, so recipients had opportunity to read (and perhaps even feel) the words. As the years passed, I stopped doing this. And sitting with my friend, as he shared his passion, I was reminded of it.

Valentine’s Day comes once a year. But in my humble opinion, the passion that surrounds this day should be lived every single day. Thanks to my friends’ reminder, the next day when I introduced myself to a new colleague over coffee – I smiled and slid my card across the table – passion-side-first.