Passion And Desire – Know Them/Live Yours
Understanding your passion and desire, identifying and incorporating them can be life-changing. You can be more content because your soul is at peace, be able to find time for what you enjoy, and get rid of time spent on things that you don’t. You will be picky about what you say yes to and more focused on living intentionally. I am proof that life is better now that I get it and I want the same thing for you!
Passion runs through your blood
You expect nothing in return
Because it is the act
of doing what you love
That is fulfilling
Desire is something you love to do
With an expected result
And when you see that result
you are fulfilled
Passion and Desire both start in a similar way. They are both things you enjoy doing, but one requires seeing a result (desire) and the other doesn’t (passion).
It is so important to have things we are passionate about in our lives. It’s what we have to look forward to and it’s what gets us from one thing to the next.
Unfortunately, and often times, our passions are what gets put on the back burner when life gets too busy. And, when life gets so busy we don’t have time for our passions, we find ourselves unfulfilled and lack contentment. AND, when we lack contentment, we are just not our best person, and believe me, that isn’t good for anyone around us! We have to quit doing this. Stop doing this right now. These are the things that drive us and that motivates us. Doing these things feed our soul and when we are happier, we are better parents, employers, employees, friends, etc…we are just better people!
When we have a passion for something, it is the act of doing that something that we love that is fulfilling.
For example, I create with my hands, that is my passion. One of the things that I do is make memory jewelry and one aspect of that is Bridal Jewelry; a piece that a bride can wrap around her bouquet. Usually, it is made from vintage family jewelry and I incorporate pictures of people close to the bride who have died or can’t be there on her day. It is a beautiful and private way of keeping those special people close to her on such an important occasion.
For me, making those pieces, getting to hold the old jewels, seeing the pictures of amazing people, blending them together and adding the bride’s style feeds my spirit and act is fulfilling. Of course, I love to see pictures of them receiving it, attached to their bouquet or getting letters of thanks; but if I never do, I’m totally okay with that because it is the act of making it that is fulfilling.
Let’s move on to desire. When we have a desire for something, it is seeing the outcome that is fulfilling.
I need to be honest here. Understanding desire changed my perspective. You see, I am a high school English teacher and I do really enjoy it. BUT, I’ve always known teaching is NOT my passion and I’ve struggled when people ask if it is. What am I supposed to say? No. No, it is not. I don’t live for it. Well, THAT makes me sound like a horrible human! Even now, right at this moment, I feel like I should defend myself before you start saying you’d never want your kid in my class…I’ve been told I’m a great teacher and I have proven results in my classroom. I care deeply for my students and they know it. They even call me mama Blevs because I’m like their mom; I keep life real and push them to their limits (Okay I feel better).
For the longest time, I felt guilty if I said it was my passion or like dirt if I said it wasn’t. I mean I love it, but it’s a different kind of love and not the kind of love when I’m writing or creating. And then…bam! I figured it out…
and learning the difference between passion and desire freed me!
I teach and my desire is that when I teach, it makes a difference to students, that they learn about college writing and life. When they have shown me that they have learned or come back after graduation and tell me how much my classes helped, my desire has been fulfilled.
Now, when people ask if teaching is my passion, I can say no, it is a desire. And, I can honestly say I’m so good with that. I’d rather be a woman who teaches from desire than passion, otherwise, I’d be one of those teachers we’ve all had who just stands up there and runs his/her mouth without caring if anyone learned anything (don’t get me started about that)!
Can something you love be both your passion and desire?
YES! That would be the ultimate career wouldn’t it, get paid to do something you love to do? When adding a desire to it, it can mean getting paid well to do something you love! Hello Steve Jobs and Walt Disney!
Starving artists paint out of passion, they love the act of painting, whether or not their art sells doesn’t matter. Financially successful artists paint out of passion and desire, they love the process and also desire an outcome, their art being sold. Someone who exercises for the love of exercising does it out of passion alone (that is so NOT me lol) and while they might see results, they’d still do it without that perk, while someone who loves working out but also does it to get in better shape, to run a marathon or compete does it out of passion and desire (and there are those of us-okay me-who work out without one ounce of passion and only desire, and for us without the exercise passion, the struggle is real).
If you are a busy person with work, family life, commitments, etc. it can sometimes feel like you don’t have time for extra things or what we consider to be hobbies, but remember…
these are the things that feed your soul, that make you happy and make you, well, you.
Doing these things need to become a priority. If you have a friend who was in your shoes, what would you say? Probably along the lines of, you need to take time to care for yourself or, you’ll be a better person if you take time to do what you love. If you feel guilty or selfish taking the time out to do what you love, you need to stop, right now. Everyone in your life who loves you will tell you they’d take 1 hour less of you for a happier, more content and healthier you.
Please, please, please give yourself the gift of taking the time to live your passion and desire. You will be a more complete you and as your new BFF, I know that you deserve that.
PIN FOR LATER
For more tips on learning more about yourself, what you are meant to do, how you work, how to surround yourself with what you love and what is most important, check out some of my other posts below:
