Passion burns down every branch of exhaustion;
Passion’s the Supreme Elixir and renews all things;
No one can grow exhausted when passion is born!
Don’t sigh heavily, your brow bleak with boredom;
Look for passion, passion, passion, passion!

- Jalal-ud-Din Rumi

Passion is important in life. In relationships with others and yourself, passion keeps things moving, keeps things interesting and oft times is the catalyst for positive change. How can we revive passion when it feels like an act of futility? I am not referring to romantic passion, I am referring to having a passion about the choices, the ideas, the activities, the people in our lives. I am talking about enjoying our lives for whatever they are, wherever we are, whatever we are doing.

How can we remind ourselves that life is finite and every minute is worth enjoying, savoring? I know it sounds hokey but really, what are you doing right now (besides reading this post)? It is not what you do as much as why you do it… and how you do it. If it is watching TV or reading this post, are you enjoying yourself? Is this what you want to be doing? Are you actively engaged in the present moment no matter what it is you choose to be doing?

For example, we all must work to pay the bills or most of us anyways, right? Well, most people do not ‘love’ their work but they do it anyways. Why shouldn’t we love what we do? Why shouldn’t we be in the moment, present, active and enjoying what we are doing? We have all seen trashmen who are singing whilst doing some of the dirtiest work. We have also seen movie stars or famous singers wallowing in their misery, loathing every minute of the job that was once a favorite hobby. It is all in perception, really. It is not about being inspired to be passionate by some one or some thing else. It is not about finding everything rosy and wonderful. It is about being present and bringing passion to everything you do. It is about being the change you want to see in the world.

Does this mean everything is wonderful and you should pretend as such? No! Passion does not claim any one emotion, it does not disqualify or negate any either. If you are hurting, allow yourself to do so. Do not deny yourself the right to feel whatever you are feeling. Do not be harsh on yourself for your feelings. Respect them! Passionately love yourself! Give yourself the right to feel or experience whatever is real. This is what I need to practice.

Today, I will try to be passionate about whatever I choose to do. I will try to be forgiving with myself. I will try to respect my emotions and others without losing myself.

I would love feedback on this topic. How do you think we can reintroduce passion back into our day to day lives?

I used to journal every day, several times a day but this past year or so I have all but stopped completely. I rarely, if ever, journal anymore and when I do it becomes more of a check list, a to do list, a things I need to get list. How sad. I have decided I will get back to journaling. I want to pick up a pen and physically write out my thoughts, as disjointed as they may be, and feel the resolution that comes with getting them out. Thoughts can get so twisted in our own heads. Even the act of saying something out loud can de-energize its momentum. Writing it out can help us see patterns over time or to see how most fears, most problems have such simple but profound roots. And then we can address them, no matter how difficult. It is a start. Thoughts can be destructive and I have found that journaling helps me turn them into constructive tools for change.

So, why did I stop journaling? It doesn’t really matter.

The important thing is that I start again. To make it a habit once again. Once upon a time it was without thought that I would reach for a journal and I left them everywhere for convenience. I want to return to these habits. They were healthy and helped me immensely. So, today, I will set aside 20 minutes to journal. Just 20. And if I have nothing to write about, I will recruit some help from some various programs I have found online. I will share my progress…some leads…some writing tips as this progresses.

Here’s to the power of writing and good habits!