It’s common for people to get asked about where their passions lie or to be told to follow their passions. The first can be an invasive bit of psychological probing on the part of a prospective lover or employer, and the other can be ill-advised advice to someone with little experience in life.
We all must find equitable ways to apportion our goals, desires, and necessities. I am passionate about ice cream ( among other things), but running off on a world tour of the best ice cream stands might not please my family, employers, or clients. After my cholesterol reached celestial heights, my heart might also object. I’ll just have to find some reasonable way to celebrate my passion.
Besides, a healthy person’s passions grow and change with life experience. I no longer find being an enthusiast of fine brandies essential to my life.
So much for the negative end of things; understanding our passions can be personally profitable. Properly managed passions help give our lives purpose and direction. Passion gives good and great art that extra push over the edge from meh to wow. When life is all shadows and tones of grey, it can be the scintilla of lights and color that shows the path.
When my career was turned topsy turvy in the nineties, my passion for carving was a sea anchor that renewed my focus and helped me get through a tough time.
Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.”  Your passion is more than a commercial ploy by an employer desiring all employees to be members of their corporate tribe. Neither is it a bit of superficial advice on a life course. It might keep you off the reefs of life and offer a needed direction when other things fail. Don’t sell it short or sell it out.
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