Passion that Works...and Wins

What is passion? It’s a word you hear all the time.  The word “passion” gets tossed around a lot - as the word “love” does. 

“I love dogs.” 

“I love wine."

“I love my children.” 

“I love my wife."

True, you probably do love all those things. However, you probably don’t love wine in the same way, and to the same degree, you love your wife. At least I hope not. 

The same is true with passion. You might say you have a passion for wine, meaning you really like wine.  However, how committed are you to it? 

You may have a strong feeling and enthusiasm about your wine, which leads you to attend wine tasting events. Maybe you spend your vacations visiting vineyards abroad. However, are you willing to lay down your life for wine? 

France has been recognised for having a passion for wine throughout the ages. The French love wine. In fact, they are passionate about it. “To be a Frenchman means to fight for your country and its wine,” Frenchman Claude Terrail was quoted as saying back in the days of World War ll. And, that’s precisely what happened.  The French went to war with the Nazis over their wine, and it wasn’t the first battle over it.  The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 was over the beverage as well, and there have been others besides. You might say that the French are, indeed, passionate about their wine.  

It’s not just the level, or degree, of passion that can be misconstrued, even the definition of the word “passion” has a rocky past. 

The Latin root of “passion” is “passio” which translates to “suffering”. A few thousand years ago, the word was centred around the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ. Like so many other ancient words, passion’s meaning changed over the course of time. By the Middle Ages, passion was being used to denote the suffering of anyone.  

Then came the Renaissance, a time of fervent change politics, economics and art that took place in European culture from the 14th to 17th century, when hearts were afire. Along with the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature, and art, came the birth of an old word with a whole new meaning - passion. 

Although passion was now being used to describe the vibrant energy of inspiration and motivation, there was yet another shift the word would take during that time.  Poets like Geoffrey Chaucer creatively reinvented the word and used it to describe surging emotions. William Shakespeare put a complete spin on the word. Suddenly, it described a romantic, uncontrollable desire for another person. 

It didn’t end there. By the 70s, phrases like “follow your passion” were coined. The word was used alongside other words like motivation and inspiration.  It was then that passion-seeking became a positive part of the everyday person’s life. 

Generation X and Millennials claimed the word as their own, infatuated by fulfilling their personal passions - once again, giving the word both positive and negative connotations.  

The meaning of the word passion is widespread and at times, wishy-washy. What is not wishy-washy is the fact that if you are a writer, passion pushes your pen. If you are an athlete, passion fuels the long hard work-outs and ultimately, your performance.   

If you’re in sales, no matter what you’re selling, you had better be passionate about it. If you aren’t, you can rest assured no one else will be either. 

When it comes to passion in sales and business, your level of passion is usually equal to the time and energy you’re willing to put into it. That doesn’t necessarily mean the more, the better, either.   

You see, there’s yet another group of words that are used to describe passion - addiction, obsession, and divorce. Putting too much time and energy into any passion can be unhealthy - mentally and physically. It can destroy relationships and leave you as strung out as drugs can. 

The reason passion can spiral out of control is that it is regulated by dopamine, a powerful neurochemical that engulfs us and drives us to do things. Once the brain releases it, dopamine pushes us toward our goals and makes us crave rewards. Dopamine drives passionate people in their pursuits but also motivates drug addicts to satisfy their cravings. 

Only the finest of lines exist between the personalities of extremely passionate people and those of drug addicts. That’s because while dopamine motivates us to pursue rewards, the chemical dissipates once we receive them. This, of course, leaves us yearning for more. 

It’s like going to the local carnival as a kid - the kind that travels around to supermarket parking lots with a Ferris wheel and a couple of other rides. You are in heaven. Adrenalin pumps with every turn of the big wheel and all the other attractions. It’s so much better than the park! Until...your parents take you on a trip to Disneyland. Then, it’s all over for the park and the local carnival. You have experienced the ultimate. Or, have you? Surely there’s a faster roller coaster, a higher Hammer...as you grow older, you set your sights on skydiving and bungee jumping. Why? Because dopamine is never satisfied.  

And, as with addictive drugs, the more dopamine we experience, the higher our tolerance for it becomes. We begin to set our goals higher and place ever-increasing importance on chasing our passions. Moreover, we’re never satisfied with the reward for it’s the process itself that releases that sweet dopamine. 

The Three C’s of Healthy Passion 

Passion can certainly become out of control when it’s not balanced. At the same time, though, to successfully pursue your passion, you will need to devote endless hours, spend money you really don’t have and do without. Passion requires sacrifice. Sometimes, it requires suffering too. 

Healthy passion will get you where you want to be. Once ignited, or realised, it will fuel the fire that burns within. 

What is healthy passion? With a constructive, well-balanced passion, you’ll have these three key things: commitment, control, and consciousness. Let’s take a look... 

Commitment 

There are those who are committed to what they are passionate about, and there are those who are just involved. A simple example was about the French and their wines, they are committed to it, while for example, Argentineans love their wines, but they would not have gone to war for their wines.

Your purpose which you move in life defines if you are involved or committed.

Your level of commitment, in sales or anything else, will show. It will always show in your productivity and performance.

"Many have the passion to begin, but few have the commitment to finish." Moffat Machingura 

Control 

World-renowned psychologist and television personality, Dr Phil McGraw, made famous the question, “How’s that working for you?” It’s an excellent question to ask yourself so you can rate just how your passionate endeavour is really faring. How well are you balancing your passion?   

Once again, you’re burning the midnight oil. You’ve got an important presentation and sleep just isn’t an option. However, when you wake up with a migraine from lack of rest or fall asleep during the meeting, it’s time to take inventory. 

The same stands for repercussions like loss of friendships, divorce, and children who are out of control. If you’re neglecting other important realms of your life, you need to execute some control, self-control. If things aren’t “working for you”, you’ll need to re-evaluate the expectations you’ve placed upon yourself and perhaps, re-route. Just because you take a different direction doesn’t mean you’re not still going for your goal. You’re just doing it smarter. 

 Consciousness 

Consciousness is the state of being aware. We all have distractions that get in our way, especially now that we’re attached at the hip to our phones and our work can follow us everywhere we go. It takes a deliberate effort to become mindful and to be fully present in the moment. 

Consciousness, or mindfulness, involves being aware of your thoughts and emotions, acknowledging and accepting them, but not letting them control your mental state. Passion may be pushing you to close the sale on a client who is sitting across the desk from you. His signature on the contract would seal your status as a salesperson of the month and would also keep your home from going into foreclosure.  As you are obsessing on the details, there’s a faraway look in your eyes, and your toes are nervously tapping. You suddenly realise your potential customer has just asked you a question. You wonder what it was. Your shot at salesman of the year and at keeping your home have just faded from reality all because you did the same. Being present in the moment is not only priceless...it’s imperative. To be successful at your passion, you must be present as well. 

Passion That Produces  

Passion in sales is basically a prerequisite for the job. Without passion, you’ll doubtfully be able to weather the challenges and get over the hurdles. For the average Joe trying his luck in sales, the first slammed door is usually the last.   

However, there’s something that drives a passionate salesperson. It keeps him coming back for more, slam after slam, or... sale after sale. It wakes him up in the morning and keeps him up at night. He spends long hours, figuring out how to make his presentation better, studying his pitch, reviewing his product.  That something is passion.  It consumes his being. It runs through him as thick and as real as his very blood. It inspires and motivates him and pushes him onward, regardless.   

Passion is nothing without action and commitment. Without discipline and self-control, it is little better than a junkie’s insatiable urge to get his next fix. And when consciousness is lacking, you’ll not be present enough to constructively pursue your dream, much less know if you’re doing an excellent job of attaining it or not. 

But when your passion is nurtured by healthy doses of commitment, control, and consciousness - there’s another word that enters into the picture...winner! And winning is what it’s all about. 

 Be passionate. Be wise. Be a winner.