JUNE BLOG

Illustration by Miki Howenstein

When your heart is passionate about it, you flower.

There's a difference between something that stimulates you for a year and something you can be passionate about for ten years. What is the difference? One thing is not ten times more stimulating than the other. The difference is whether your heart's in it.
The traditional search for a career begins with the question "What am I good at?"  But that's often not the right starting point for finding a calling.
The true search is for what you believe in. When your heart's engaged, the inevitable headaches and daily annoyances become tolerable and don't derail your commitment. Let your brain be your heart's soldier. (Po Bronson “What Should I Do with my Life?” p 47-8)
JR: Why do many people nowadays feel de-energized and burnt out? Very often, it is because they choose a life path that is practical or that others are also following, rather than a path that excites them deep down. Choosing  to do something that has captured your heart so that the path and the passion become one fills you with an energy which makes you willing to try to overcome any obstacle which may present itself. The challenge and stimulation entailed in taking up such a course provides a fuel that never stops burning and keeps you alive. 
PP: Is there something you used to do that your heart was completely absorbed in? How can you bring that activity and feeling back into your life?
PA: One of my many problems is that I have way too many interests. However, on the positive side, after trying them out for a while, I usually quickly lose interest in pursuing them. Luckily, there are two passions which never filled to fill my heart with joy when I was a child—hanging out in the woods and reading. I’ve been able to incorporate both of these into my work, by doing environmental projects and taking groups for hikes and through my avid reading and not-as-frequent writing. As a hiking guide (as many can testify), I make many mistakes (like getting lost at times), and yet, because of my passion for it (or because of my foolishness, others can feel better about themselves), many keep coming back. My passion for reading has inspired me to write more, and when I do, it gives me great joy. Yet, not doing more of it remains one of my life’s shortcomings. When I manage to do so, I’m sure I can flower still more.