Passion is Fuel

I stumbled onto this one minute YouTube video the other day, and loved the simple concept that passion is fuel. I have definitely experienced this with my writing, and love the idea that your passion creates a magnet which brings you to what you are looking for, whether that's authentic connections with others, personal satisfaction, financial rewards, or anything at all.

Even on the darkest days, I know this to be true because I've felt it in my own life, and I've seen it happen around me to others. The video talks about positive emotional energy, and this is really the key between moving forward and staying stuck. I spent too many years mired in negativity, full of fear, believing that I didn't have what it would take to be successful. When I finally made the decision to turn from pessimism to optimism, and to change the way I viewed myself, I became unstuck and began to move again.

Anyone can do this, but it does involve getting to know yourself so you understand what your deepest passions are. If passion is your fuel, you need to know what moves you before you can begin accessing that positive energy. What do you care about most? What injustice bothers you and makes you want to rise up and put a stop to it? What gets your heart pounding with excitement? The answers to those questions direct you toward your passions.

It's helpful to know that there are no time limits on our dreams and passions. We can pursue them at any time. I needed to really embrace who I am before I could wholeheartedly pursue what I'm meant to be doing. For me, the two were closely tied together. I couldn't write when I felt I had to please everyone else and not myself.

I had to stop worrying about what other people thought, and put that energy into discovering who I am and building up my confidence in myself. When that happened, I was able to pursue my passions with less fear of what might happen when people didn't like what I had to say. I didn't believe in myself before, and I do now, and that has made all of the difference to me as I tapped into my passions and let them fuel my dreams.

Surrounding ourselves with cheerleaders is a good place to start. Look for those people who exude positive emotional energy. They are the ones who smile more often than they frown, and who express hope instead of doom and gloom on a regular basis. These are the people who have discovered the power of their own passions, and they can help to light the way for us as we learn what it means to believe in ourselves instead of doubt what we can do.

Someone who leads by example means a million times more than someone who says the right things but their actions don't match up to their words. I am now looking for congruence in the people I spend time with. I don't want to spend my energy bracing for the next attack, but instead I want to partner with those who prefer positivity to negativity.

There is a clear dividing line in this world between the two groups, and I'm beginning to improve at discerning who seems genuine and who doesn't. It's not an exact science, and we are all broken and let each other down, but integrity is when the actions and the words are the same, and when you find that dynamic at play, positive emotional energy is usually there as well. These are the people who can help us discover our own passions, and cheer us on through the disappointments that are sure to come, and motivate us to reach higher and be better as we journey through life.