Is there a difference between passion and purpose? How do the two connect?
Photo by ‘emmip’ (Morguefile.com)
There’s much discussion these days about passion and purpose in the workplace.
A Google search of “passion at work” resulted in 11,5000,000 hits. A search of “purpose and work” results in 21,300 hits. “Purpose in the workplace”, 61,400 hits. Even so, many people still confuse passion and purpose.
Purpose in this context defines “why I am on the planet.” Some refer to purpose as a “calling.” Others, as your “life work.”
Passion is energy — emotional, physical, mental, psychic and, often, spiritual — that drives you and supports you to engage in, and focus on, specific efforts — sometimes purposeful, sometimes not.
The two faces of passion
When connected to purpose, passion supports you to engage in your purpose during the day; to be a continuous learner, to strive towards self-actualization, and to look for ways to improve what you do and how you do it.
Yet, passion can also be self-limiting, self-destructive, self-sabotaging, and hurtful to others. It depends on how you chooses to channel it. It seems that some people feel their passion allows them to be disrespectful.
For example, some “passionate” folks dress up and go to sporting events to engage in harassment: uncivil and disrespectful and hurtful behavior in the name of “I’m really passionate about my team.” Colleagues at work can unfairly judge others — even act in ways that include bullying, gossip, rudeness, and disrespectful talk about others’ perceived lack of skills and talents — in the name of “I’m really passionate about what I do and so why do you have to be so stupid!”
Of course, people can equally be passionate about coming home at night and binging on alcohol, food, or chemical or non-chemical drugs.
What is your passion directed to?
Passion is energy. Is your passion positive, supportive of your self, others, and humanity? Or is it negative, self-destructive, or harmful?
Being passionate does not automatically make you humble, emotionally intelligent, good at relationships, able to act with integrity, honest, skilled, or talented. Passion is just energy.
Purpose gives passion a ‘raison d’etre’
Without purpose as an anchor, passion has no guidance system. Without a purpose, people often feel disoriented and unhappy.
In my years working as a coach, I’ve always been curious about people who study hard for a profession — then end up hating what they are doing, locked in a ‘mid-life’ crisis by age 30.
In some of these cases, they entered their profession or career area because they were directed there by someone who suggested that their personality pointed them in a direction they should follow. “You’re going to be really talented in [fill in the blank],” they said. “Your assessment indicates to me that you’re best suited for [fill-in the blank].”
These people let others define their purpose in life. It rarely works like that.
Purpose needs ‘heart’
What outsiders cannot measure is ‘heart.’ Heart is the focal point of purpose, not the mind, not logic. Heart takes no notice of what’s fashionable at the moment, or people say you should do — especially when that is based on some abstract assessment of ‘inclination.’
As a result, some people never discover the truth that purpose is not a career area or expertise. It can be manifested by working in any career area, so long as you have a heartfelt passion for that endeavor.
Two lawyers, two IT professionals, two managers, two bloggers, for example, can both do the same thing. Yet their energy, their engagement, their true love of the work will not be the same. Their joy of work and sense of inner peace and well-being depends on whether or not they are “on purpose.” One of them has their heart in it; the other maybe just muddles through, with an “ugh” at every turn.
Are you disconnected from passion and purpose?
When you have your heart in your work, meaning abounds. When your life is ego-driven — all figured out in their mind, with no ‘heart’ for what you do — meaning is likely to be trumped by unhappiness and a sense of disconnection.
What are such people disconnected from? Their heart and sense of purpose; their True and Real Self, their Essence. The ego mind, with all its objective logic and assessments, cannot point the way to purpose.
As usual, here are some questions for self-reflection:
- Are you following your life’s purpose? How do you know?
- How did you arrive at doing the work you are doing? Do you feel purposeful in doing it? Do you feel passionate about what you do?
- Why are you on the planet? What is your purpose in life? What is the legacy you’d like to leave behind? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
- Can you think of three things you’re passionate about? How could you express this passion in your work and career?
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