The Reality of Passion

I once had a friend of mine ask me what it was like to be passionate about my pursuits. He believed he'd never had that feeling of all-consuming joy and drive that someone is 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 to feel with passion.

That's how it's meant to be, right? Passion is when you love something all-consumingly, all the time. Well, maybe for some people it is, but that's not my experience, and I think it's a bit of a discouraging definition.

Passion to me, comes from loving something. It brings you joy and makes some of the hard work not feel like work at all. It's something with highs that make you think: "I never want to stop doing this". Those are the feelings I get playing an exciting piece with my wind ensemble or horn quartet, or when I reread a chapter I'm proud of, or hold a printed manuscript in my hands for the first time. Highs you experience with something you're passionate about make the lows (which inevitably come) 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 the effort, the frustration, worth everything.

The discouraging part about passion shown to us in media is that it always seems to be depicted as something that never has a low. Let me tell you, I'm passionate about the horn. I know a lot of people who are. But, that passion doesn't make mistakes any less frustrating, nor hours upon hours alone in a practice room any less tedious or strenuous at times. Being passionate about writing doesn't make looking at a page covered in red any less discouraging, nor does it make the work of another round of edits any less daunting!

The point is: You can be passionate about something, even if you don't love it all the time. Frustration, discouragement, fear, all of that: not one of those things negates or invalidates the passion you feel for what you're doing.

That friend of mine would say he's never experienced passion because he has never had that perfect relationship with the craft of something, and that's just so sad to me!

There's a reason I preach discipline, drive, and dedication. It's because there are gaps in passion that only hard work can fill.

For those of you who have struggled with some of the things you love, ask yourself this: Are you able to envision a future, regret-free, where you've let go of what it is you do just for the love of it?

If regret pulls at you thinking of leaving it behind, you have a reason to continue on.

Passion isn't perfect. Yours doesn't have to be either. All you have to do is love it enough to keep going.