I would love to take the time to talk about passion. In our day to day lives, we think of passion as an activity that someone has done for many years and is very good at. It is easy to look at passion this way because our view of success seems to depend so heavily on how the rest of the world deems we have succeeded.

My view of passion is slightly different than this one because I don't believe passion is a activity at all. I believe that passion is a feeling, rooted deep within the core of us. It is tied to the part of us that loves our family, friends and God. The place where we all feel our deepest emotions, joy. Passion is rooted so deeply because it, as a feeling, reflects the love that is within all of us. As we express this emotion whether it is through the completion of an activity or the thoughts running through our heads, we can always rely on it to provoke a sense of warmth, joy, and excitement. I do not believe that passion is an activity or thing one has done well or for a lengthy amount of time because those activities do not necessarily bring joy. Just because someone is good at something does not mean that it brings them that feeling of peace.

Passion also creates an immense sense of security. No matter if it is your love of praying or a sport that brings you passion, you feel safe in knowing that this thing will be tethered to the place within you feel safe. This deep, emotional place in your soul is the root of the feeling of passion for something, so you know it can never be taken from you. You're whole live could turn upside down, and the safety of your connection will remain. Your passion connects you to yourself. It is not connected to your petty thoughts or actions, but the most personal, beautiful aspects of you that will stay with you throughout your life, unchanging in the turmoil of the world.

When seen in a person, passion is so beautiful because of this connection. When you see real passion within someone, it is so intimate, so connecting to them because of its deep connection to their soul. It is personal for both sides of this observation because the person that retains this tie will also see the mutual passion within you. One may ask, “how can someone see what I am passionate about if I do not tell them what it is”? This is because passion is not the “it”  is, but the emotions and drive behind the “it”. People can have this connection because the love and caring of God is radiates from a person, from their very core.

Passion is difficult to find. Your soul is a complex place of many emotions, which often makes it very difficult to find this feeling of unrelenting success and warmth. Many people dig and dig and dig, perhaps for their whole lives without ever finding it. For some, they find this joy, or passion, and then it slips through their fingers into the dark sea again. It can be so frustrating, exhausting, to fight these unrelenting waters that hide your joy and passion, but you must persevere if you wish to find it. It is easy to blame the murky waters on other people who seem to continuously stir up the sand and mud, but they are only standing on the shore urging you further in. They call to you, telling you to look and taunting you with tales of miscellaneous accomplishments. You feel all the more determined to find your own feeling of accomplishment, and wade deeper in. If you would only close your eyes and patiently wait for the water to clear, you just might see deep enough into yourself to snatch up the passion and hold it close to your heart.