All passionate pursuits will eventually involve a measure of monotony. Respect for the art of whatever it is you do involves a degree of submission, respect, humility and sometimes a determined and deliberate monotony (like practicing a musical instrument). Doing things well, with quality in mind above all else, even though they may appear mundane and boring, is the kind of thing you should be working toward. If you have that mindset, then what you do is less important than how you do it; as long as you act with intention and presence, then almost anything can become a passion. If you want an example, look at the Japanese tea ceremony. The simple act of preparing and pouring tea has been elevated into the sublime realm of ritual and grace...would that we could do that with our careers!
This. Monotony is a choice of wether one wants to appreciate the little things or deems them to be boring. Seeking adventure and difference is good once in a while but very unhealthy and unreasonable if it's a constant.
I personally believe, passion is not an obsession because its not stagnant , therefore is not monotous ; infact its an urge , a struggle. Very often I find passion to be linked with a loop phenomenon or some obsessive compulsive behavior ....but at its core it seeks answers , enlightenment and satisfaction , and when you passionate you will embrace your journey , only to find yourself better placed mentally . Surprise yourself with questions , remain curious and be challenged ...remember ! Passion is a tool not the goal of life .
I agree on your argument that the mindset is influential in shaping the mechanics of how and what actions to take by adding intention and presence to develop a result of what we call 'passion'. My plight is, however, based on the concept that 'i have been pursuing the conventional goals that the society has set for me all my life to this point eg. cultural obligations in participating in the rites of passage as a child, education pursuits as a teenager , and other cocurricular aspects that my family has expected of me during my years in campus' After fulfilling these obligations and now starting an independent lifestyle, I have come to realize that I am not satisfied with the routine of waking up, doing some work and going to bed. This is because in the past I found meaning in fulfilling other people's needs and expectations rather than shaping my life for the future. My needs to grow a passion have strengthened in the recent days and that's why am asking for suggestions on some examples of passion to pursue. I read somewhere that people pick their 'poisons' at a certain point in life and stick to the 'monotony' that characterizes such 'poisons' till they die - of old age - i hope you get my plight. I need a 'poison' or a 'passion' ---------- Post added 18th Oct 2016 at 01:50 PM ---------- I agree with your premise on the aspects of passion. By using puns here my OCD drives me in the direction of developing a desire to connect to a passion of some sort so as to stop losing the meaning or the whole point of my life
Why do passions, interests, things you find fun, need to have meaning? A lot of people do meaningless things, just because those things make them feel good, feel more complete, feel excitement in anticipation, or make their hearts beat a bit faster and more joyfully. e.g. a lot of people like participating in sports, but sport itself is pretty much meaningless. e.g. It could be just getting a ball into a net, hoop, hole, onto a bat, or across a court. People love sports because they make them experience internal feelings and emotions that they don't get anywhere else. Others feel the same way about drawing, painting, sculpture, kite flying, dancing, cooking, video games, certain movies genres - which all have just as much meaninglessness. Maybe write a list of things that you enjoyed or dreamed of doing when you were a child. With your individuality, independence and (I'm assuming) your own income, you'd now be able to delve into those things deeper than you were able to before. Sure, you might find out that those things aren't at all what you thought they would be - for better or for worse, but there's very little stopping you from trying multiple things or moving on to something else. An example might be that you get some lessons in some kind of hobby, sport or activity.
Find something you're interested in or enjoy, set a goal, and do it. If you can't think of anything, try everything.
If you check out the biographies of important artisans and professionals, such as Sam Malouf (a renowned woodworker), Pablo Picasso (artist), or Frank Lloyd Wright (architect), you may notice that none of them started with the premise that they needed to find something to be passionate about. All of them started with an urgent, compelling need to do what they do, because they have surrendered to their love of the thing that compels them. An essay entitled Why To Surrender to (What You) Love Or, Where True Strength Comes From by Umair Haque, captures this idea beautifully. Surrender, in this sense means letting go of the self, of ego, of striving...to let a deeper version of the self emerge...this is indeed the source of any true passion.
