Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German Philosopher
At Tigerpaw, we have five core values that we hold dear. They are:
- Passion – Perform our roles with purpose, pride, and a positive attitude.
- Performance – Strive for excellence in all we do.
- Teamwork – Drive success with strong collaboration and communication.
- Integrity – Uphold our ethics and principles with every action and every decision.
- Adaptability – Be flexible and embrace change.
This month, we are focusing on Passion. It’s no coincidence that Passion is the first item in the list. Passion is what happens when your activities and responsibilities align with your being, your true self. When this alignment takes place, you come alive! No barrier seems too high and no river too wide; you simply won’t accept setbacks as failures. Without passion, it’s pretty difficult to find success in what you do, and all of your actions will suffer for it.
I can tell you first-hand that passion is contagious; people LOVE to be around others who are passionate. Whether I am speaking to a single customer, the press, or a room full of hundreds of conference attendees, I have learned that my single most important responsibility is to share my passion. I don’t have to have all of the answers, but I do have to bring a belief in what I am doing and the people with whom I am doing it, and I have to make sure everyone feels that belief!
Passion and sincerity together create a spark that can take on a life of its own. I get a huge rush from seeing others absorb my passion, and turn around and carry that forth into the world. Great change comes from passionate people.
Do you have passion for what you do?
Are you passionate about what you do? If the answer is no, you need to dig deep and find out why. Are you just tired? Are you completely burned out – or are you working in a field that holds no special interest to you? While it may be a pipe dream to think we can all find a vocation that makes us want to jump out of bed every day and get started, it’s not a fantasy to believe we can find something that gives us purpose and ignites a desire to do more and achieve greater heights. If you don’t have and can’t find passion for what you do, you should seriously consider finding another line of work.
If you are passionate about what you can do, or believe you can be – find a way to spread that passion to others!
Bringing passion to my job is so critical that I’ve set myself up with reminders. On my desk you’ll find a frame with three words: Present, Passionate, Curious. In fact, here’s what it looks like:
I refer to this often – before meetings and before roaming the halls, for example. It reminds me to be present in my encounters (i.e. not multi-task in my head), be passionate about the subject at hand, and to be curious and ask questions. Believe it or not, these don’t always come easy for me – especially if I’m tired or under stress. Sometimes I want to avoid people, and sometimes I want conversations to stick to the facts without any fluff. My PPC frame reminds me of what I need to do to get the most out of each and every interaction. Those that know me well know that I’m often wearing a stone or crystal around my neck. Lately, I’ve been wearing a garnet. Garnet is a stone of passion, and I am reminded to be passionate every morning when I put it on, when I see it in a mirror, and when I just happen to remember I’m wearing it. My point is, being passionate is important, and if you want to do the things that are important to you, you can find a way!
Communicating your passion
One challenge of having a high degree of passion is learning how to effectively communicate it to others. Passion can enable you to be a great agent of change, but keep in mind that passion that isn’t tempered to the listener’s communication style can be very threatening. If you see opportunities for improvement in your organization, and you are passionate about bringing about those changes, be aware that someone is probably responsible for the current state of affairs. That person might not take kindly to you barging in and telling them to change what they’re doing. However, if you can show your sincerity, display passion in your desire to make things better, and offer to help – you should be well received and get that change that you are after.
We should all strive for a life full of passion – at work, at home – in all of our relationships. I strongly encourage you to nurture the passions that you have, and find new passions if you don’t have any. Try to find something that excites you in everything you do, and bring that passion to the surface for others to enjoy and to catch.
Spreading passion is a form of spreading joy – and we could all use a little more of that! :)