To Go Far, Be Passionate
Humans have become accustomed to living in a world of absolutist demands and absurd obligations. We create enormous pressure for ourselves and end our days full of tension and anxiety.
The society in which we live tells us that we should or must do certain things, that we must have a particular job or be a certain way in order to be valued. Unfortunately, we often take this to be dogma without questioning it at all.
If we decide to buy into this, we feel constantly pressured thinking, “I must be pretty! I must be a well-known professional! I must educate my children perfectly! I must paint the perfect picture!” etc.
Interestingly, when we are driven by the force of an obligation, we produce in ourselves what psychology calls mental blocks.
When our projects or plans are carried out with anxiety and tension, the final results are usually mediocre. This, in turn, causes us to give ourselves negative feedback because it should have turned out well!
The key to ending this vicious circle is to begin to realize what obligations you’re imposing on yourself.
It’s unfortunately true that our culture sends us certain superficial messages about how we must be or how we should act but, in the end, it’s you who must decide whether or not you will go along with those ideas.
It’s been proven that someone who begins a personal or professional project just for the fun and passion of it goes much further than someone who is constantly pressured.
A passionate person works and strives, of course, but does it with love because they enjoy what they’re doing, and that’s their goal. If things turn out well, all the better, but if everything doesn’t go well or fails, they know it’s not the end of the world.
And if after many failures, no interesting goal has been reached, it still wouldn’t be the end of the world! Because life offers millions of interesting alternatives. It’s very important to understand that, within us, we have a child who wants to have fun with life and with the rest of the world.
Because, in the end, the most important goal for a human being is to be happy, and in order to be happy you have to take the weights and rocks out of your backpack, and get rid of the “should’s” and the “have to’s.”
When you’re finally freed from these mental chains with which you had chosen to restrict yourself, you discover that to live and be happy is the easiest thing in the world.
You go out and do what you have to do without fear of anything. Without fear of the opinion or approval of society, without fear of failure. It’s great and you do what you have to because you want to, and nothing more.
Suddenly, you notice that your inner child laughs at anything and everything, because in every situation there’s something to laugh at and to play with. Life is that way, and to play implies fun, satisfaction, and love of life as it is in the moment, without demand or imposition.
Look at yourself: do you have arms, legs, a healthy mind with which to think, food, clean water and other things, as well?
If you have all of that and more, you’re blessed. Now you have everything to let yourself be guided by the force of enjoyment, doing what you want to do and enjoying it.
Do things because you love them, because you want to, because you’re passionate about them, not to get anything in return, but for your own well being.
Leave your desk job if your passion is to be a sculptor! Or at least try to open a path towards something you love. Leave that person that you know is hurting you!
Be aware that if your day to day, with the basics, is okay, there is nothing to fear and what you will get will be the most gratifying thing you could ever obtain: your own happiness.
Therefore, your motto is “From now on, I will let myself be carried by the force of passion and I will lay aside the force of obligation.”
To go far, you must be passionate….