PASSION LIFE vs PASSIVE LIFE

Almost everyday I read someone’s status on Facebook; I hear someone in the local grocery store or talk with someone on the phone about how miserable their job is or how unsatisfied they are with their current position in life. And without fail the majority of the time the root of the matter is they are not living their Passion Life, but their Passive Life.  

What do I mean by Passive Life, when I looked the word passive up, here is what I found. Passive is not participating readily or actively. I love it, when you are living your Passive Life; you are not ready or active in your daily life. Why is that, because you are not passionate about what you are doing.

How do most people end up living a Passive Life versus a Passion Life, because they take the road MOST traveled. We all have heard the statement “Get a good education that leads to a good job, with good benefits.” Well the problem is many get a good education in the wrong thing.

You can pick up any magazine and find articles that say, the highest paid career fields or fastest moving industries. So people select their degree fields based on that information. Stuff they can learn to do, but they are not passionate about. Years later they feel like robots. Wake up, get dress, do their job, go home, wake up, get dress, do their job, go home. This continues for years until they feel trapped, because they bought a house, car and a bunch of stuff they thought would make them feel better.

I know you may be reading this and say, that’s me, now what. Well it’s not too late for you to live a Passion Life. The first step is to admit, I’m living a Passive Life, and not my Passion Life.

The next step is to identify what is your Passion Life. For me it was to help people Live In Victory Everyday. Through my public speaking, books, seminars and training. Well, when I figured this out, I was in the Army, making a comfortable living and pretty successful by many standards. But I wasn’t passionate about what I was doing any more. Granted, when I first joined, I was excited, it was new, it was a new experience, but after six years, the new car smell had worn off.

The third step is you have to make a decision; I had to make one of the most difficult decisions in my life, to walk away from a comfortable Passive Life. I mean, I made guaranteed money, I was being promoted very fast, on track to lead a very successful military career, BUT, it wasn’t my passion. Remember, the definition for passive, not participating readily or actively. It was a struggle for me to wake up in the morning; I was using so much energy to complete a full day’s work.

The final step in the first phase of living your Passion Life; create a blueprint, a plan, an outline for how you will transition from a Passive Life, to a Passion Life. Once you know what you want to do, find out from where you currently are, what will it take to live your Passion Life? Maybe not a new degree, but some specific courses, maybe some specialized training.

Let’s recap the steps. First you have to admit, I’m living a Passive Life, next identify what is my Passion Life. Thirdly, make the decision, that you will not SPEND the rest of your life living a Passive Life, but start INVESTING in your Passion Life. Lastly, write out your blueprint.

My last bit of advice, don’t share with people your plans right off the bat. Most people that are living a Passive Life are very fearful, and will project their fear on you many times. Family, friends and colleagues many times mean well, and feel they are saving you from a whole lot of pain.

When I decided to leave the military, EVERY ONE told me I was crazy, every one of my supervisors told me I was making a mistake. But I had already made the decision two years earlier, so I was ready for all their questions and backlash. I knew they wanted the best for me, so I didn’t take it personally. Today I still speak too many of them, and they share with me how proud they are of me and I made the RIGHT DECISION.

What if Bill Gates would have stayed in school, and not followed his PASSION to start Microsoft. Henry Ford went against the grain and the norm, Thomas Edison wouldn’t give up on his passion to create a light bulb. The Wright brothers never gave up on their passion to fly.

The world is waiting for you to live your PASSION LIFE, passion produces genius.

Remember,

Think Better, Live Better