Musings about Passion

I just read Scott Kaufman’s short article about passion in HBR. It was written in August 2011. I hadn’t read it before and found it interesting. Mr. Kaufman cites Robert Vallerand’s Dualistic Model of Passion which says there are two sides of passion: “harmonious,” the good side, and “obsessive,” the bad side. Those with harmonious passion receive “intrinsic joy” from their work. It doesn’t conflict with other areas of their lives.

People who are obsessively passionate about their work are supposed to “have an uncontrollable urge to engage in their work.” They, according to Vallerand are “conflicted between their passion and other activities in their life.” The article goes on to note that obsessive passion is bad and leads to burnout. Whereas harmonious passion is positive and leads to positive feelings about one’s work and oneself.

I’m a passionate person with a streak of OCD. Vallerand would probably say I’m obsessively passionate. Perhaps I am. But I’m not conflicted between work and life. I’m passionate about both. For example, I love the game of golf. Started playing it at the age of 14. That’s 62 years, now. I finally joined the club and play regularly. I practice some aspect of the game just about every day. When young, I was pretty good at it. Now, I’m still better than most. Why? Because I love everything about it, the smell of freshly cut grass, the trail a putted ball makes on a green filled with dew, the green fields and blue skies, the beautiful scenery from elevated tees, and the landscaping that makes a course both challenging and breathtaking. And I love practicing, seeing the ball fly where it’s supposed to go. Doesn’t happen all the time, but a high percentage.

I love my wife, our children, our grandkids, and my 96-year-old mother. I like our times together, the laughter, the same old stories told every year at our gatherings, they make us all laugh even though we’ve heard them fifty times or more. I like looking at my wife when she’s watching TV or just puttering around the house. My grandkids bring delight with their laughter and hijinks. Of course, they are the “smartest” and “brightest” in the world.

Running and biking were passions, too. At one time, I lived 17 miles from the office, and I ran to and from work most days for two years or so. I took long rides on my bike on weekends, over 100 miles, and loved it. The fresh air, wind in my face, and sheer joy that came from watching life go on at street level as I ran or rode by. I still like to walk for the same reasons.

Those who know me, know I’m a workaholic. I love what I do. It’s 2:44 AM and I woke up because I was thinking about my team of people in the OD & Change Leadership Group. What a great group; smart, funny, inquisitive, excited to learn! Watching them share their thoughts, explore new ideas, create new concepts, it’s motivating. It makes me feel good about things. As a passionate leader, it is my job to provide them with the resources and encouragement they need to succeed.

Bottom line, I get a great deal of satisfaction from a perfectly edited .jpg, a made 20-foot putt, my granddaughter’s attempts at summersaults on the front lawn, and a presentation made by one of the team’s interns as I do from working with a client to help them create better situations for themselves. I believe there is a joy to be found in everything. All you have to do is look for it. It’s there. Just look for it.

To be fair, life is not a bed of roses. There are “hard times,” difficult times, terrible times. I’ve experienced them all. I’m not always happy. Some people frustrate me and perplex me. I can’t understand why they believe some of the things they believe, but hey… that’s life. I prefer to be happy. I prefer to work hard and reap the rewards of practice and hard work. I am dedicated to my profession and to helping others who are traveling the same roads. Those who know me will say I’m passionate about it.