Anxiety about not having passion

[djanx]

You know, I recently saw this TED talk and realized how wrong I had been. I mean, for much of my life, I have looked for things I am passionate about. I mean I did compromise because I had to pay the bills. But, I never compromised with "achieving" something that I felt passionate about. As a result, I basically ignored a lot of other opportunities that came my way because I thought they didn't fit my "passion profile". And any time I couldn't find myself having passion for a thing, I gave up on it or started looking for a new passion. I would feel a lot of anxiety if I felt like I had not passion.


However, this TED talk made me realize something that I have sort of known for a long time - that life's not really about finding or keeping a passion. And by its very definition, passion is a feeling, and hence temporary. Plans, not passion, get you through life. I want to know your views on this as well. Here's the link to the talk: TED talk

 

[Alex]

Plans don't  always work out, but passion is something you can live with and say is part of you. I don't  really get into TED talks because I find them mainly about an individual's own experience.


Life is about plans, but you must have some passion, otherwise you may as well be a robot. I have passions that have remained with me since childhood, but many plans have died or fallen flat. A choice between passion and plans, and it will be passion. I used to plan and organize events for a living, and very rarely did the plans go accordingly. We just made it look that way, and that's the reality of life.  

 

[fuzyon]

Passion comes from deep down within, kids even from a young age start to go towards a route. There are 2 spectrums to this story, the creative-minded people such as actors, writers, designers etc. and the logic-oriented people such as engineers, mechanics, architects etc. and there are some people that are in-between. I know this description is not the most accurate one but it will give you an idea to categorize yourself. In reality passion is an overused word, people have things that they like to do and things that they don't like to do, very few have passions.

 

[kgord]

Sometimes having to work at something you are passionate about takes all the fun out of it. For instance, I love food and eating out. I have had had many opportunities to write about these opportunities and log them in terms of mystery shopping and reviewing the experiences. However, having to be so detail oriented and specific about the experiences really takes the fun out of for me. Also, I love cooking, but catering or being a chef, I know for a fact, would be stressful, and more work than I would want to do. So, yeah, maybe the right avenue in the passion would work out, but they are hard to find.

 

[Azelma]

I feel a bit anxious because I don't seem to have any passion for anything anymore nowadays. I used to get caught up in all sorts of different things, like learning to play an instrument, learning to draw half-decently, learning a new language, or just generally finding a new subject that you suddenly have to know everything about, and these interests would keep their hold for a few weeks maybe, before I'd get bored and be off to something new. But I don't seem to get these anymore, I just feel disinterested in everything. I guess that sounds like I'm just in the down phase of bipolarity, but I don't know how to find it out except by waiting (which is really boring).

 

[Panic57]

I think Terri Trespicio has a point about the pressure of following one passion.  I do think you have to be open to opportunities but I also don't think there is anything wrong with leaving some opportunities if they don't interest you.  I tend to view passion the way I view marriage.  The initial love of a hobby or idea is like the beginning stages of love and even up to the wedding.  Then you have to balance that marriage to the idea with the rest of your life and after a couple years, when the newness of it wears off, it'll become work but also a part of your life.  Passion is the initial spark and I don't think there is anything wrong with it but that spark dims from a blaze into a smoking coal that you can chose to let die or keep working.  I think it's better to have an over arching goal for you life, things that you want to do before you die and let your passion and hard work lead you there.

 

[sidney]

For me, passion is such a rare and short lived thing, whether for something or for another person, so in that sense I do think you're right. What matters most is that we have plans and that is what we should follow, since plans lead us to accomplish our goal. Passion is just an added incentive, like an emotion that spurs us on and makes us push harder for it.

 

[DylanRowan]

For me, passion is something you would want to do in the future life. I just feel it when I am not doing it. Maybe if I imagine it. But, like most people have written here, it is just a temporary feeling.

 

[x0xLikeMex0x]

 I feel like I've lost my passion in things I used to love to do, like acting, singing, drawing even writing. Growing up, I was really passionate about those things. I wanted to become an actress. I even went to the auditions of an acting school, but when I got to the stage there, it didn't feel right. Before the auditions I hadn't been actively acting for 2-3 years, so I guess it took it's toll. 

 

[mauricioq]

Just find something that you really enjoy to do and focus on it. For example, do you like movies? Watch a lot of movies, try to understand how movies are made, try to make a movie. Do you like music? Listen to a lot of music, try to make music. Just find a hobby and you really enjoy and focus on it, maybe you'll surprise yourself.

 

[Laneorexorcist]

As another user mentioned, sometimes working on something that you feel really passionated about makes everything differently, it kind of takes the magic about it because now you are basically forced to do something that you used as a way of escape or even as taking a little bit of time for yourself. There is a few things that I do feel really passionated about but I am really scared of finding out more about them because I feel like it wouldn't be the same thing after that... And I will end up without anything to look forward to when I'm feeling stressed out, I guess. 

 

[Zeesi]

You know, I recently saw this TED talk and realized how wrong I had been. I mean, for much of my life, I have looked for things I am passionate about. I mean I did compromise because I had to pay the bills. But, I never compromised with "achieving" something that I felt passionate about. As a result, I basically ignored a lot of other opportunities that came my way because I thought they didn't fit my "passion profile". And any time I couldn't find myself having passion for a thing, I gave up on it or started looking for a new passion. I would feel a lot of anxiety if I felt like I had not passion.


However, this TED talk made me realize something that I have sort of known for a long time - that life's not really about finding or keeping a passion. And by its very definition, passion is a feeling, and hence temporary. Plans, not passion, get you through life. I want to know your views on this as well. Here's the link to the talk: TED talk

So, I want to say thank you for posting this subject, and putting the link to the TED talks in your post, because I clicked onto the video, and watched it along with several others, and found some interesting content.  I won't blame you for getting me totally distracted from posting, although you did, lol!


As far as 'passion' is concerned, I do agree with you that passion is a feeling, but as with all things, there is no one-size fits all when it comes to people.  I have seen people who are utterly consumed by what they do.  If their passion wanes, it is not often, let me tell you.  Me, on the other hand, I am one of those where my passion tends to come in and go out, kind of like the tide in the ocean.

 

[djanx]

You're welcome. I am glad you liked the link. Yeah, it may be different for each individual.

 

[Choochoo]

I've always questioned a lot of people when they seem to show some sort of passion or obsession over certain things because I never really got into anything to that extreme level myself. I'd have interests but they were mostly all just on an appreciation level and I'd never really feel compelled enough to dive into it. I often wondered if most of the people who thought they had a passion for something really do have that drive or maybe they are just following the trend and only feel like they are themselves making the decision. I think sometimes people also gravitate towards certain hobbies or jobs because it gives them identity, and I feel that's no way to pick a hobby.