The passionate amongst us are the fortunate ones. They derive their purpose from a significant goal that consumes their waking and sleeping hours. The passionate are driven by something primal, something outside the present moment that speaks to a calling, a divine right to life.

I speak not of the anarchy of reckless passion found within people of ill temperament, or the over enthusiastic social characters who always seem to have a story to tell to anyone that will listen. Each are not to be avoided entirely as great pleasure can be found in watching and engaging with these characters momentarily. The passionate people I care to mention are those amongst us who are thoroughly dedicated to their craft, career or even hobby with a purpose that is definite and temperament that is joyous. The energy they exude in the pursuit of their callings is down right intimidating and ultimately enviable.

I , like you, I imagine, are drawn to these individuals with pure fascination and curiosity. I want to know what they know, think how they think and act how they act. Not out of some desire to share the rewards that are justly given to them by we as a society but out of a desire for meaning. I see these people in my day to day life and just can’t help but wonder.

I wonder what about them makes them this way. Is it a will to win? A drive to succeed? A desire to learn new things? An aspiration in themselves to be seen this way by society? A fear of failure pushing them to ever new heights? Is it that very thing that I am after in my life, a meaning and a sense of purpose that can be found in the pursuit of creative outputs or so  I assume.  To have such a thorough commitment to a cause that your very being is shaped by it.

The most prominent example is elite level athletes. In our society, we have a tendency to worship these people and for those in the top 1% of their respective field, maybe we should. Maybe it is okay to revere them not for what they have done but for who they are. They represent years of passionate commitment to a cause that boggles the mind to comprehend for us mere mortals.

I recently came across Alan Watts for the first time and in particular, the clip below reignited my thought process on passion. I am going to find out what mine is. I want to be like those passionate amongst us. What about you? What makes you itch?

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