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My passion has big ears

1. Harvey

2. The Awful Truth

3. The Three Amigos

I just did a worthwhile exercise. I’m discerning my passion.

Passion doesn’t mean favorite hobby or what makes your cheeks burn. It’s what you’ve been created to do. It’s what fires you up and makes you take action.

Via Amy at Humble Musings, who via’d a guest post by Mary DeMuth at Michael Hyatt’s blog, I stumbled upon a deceptively simple way to help people find their unique passion.

First, think about what you feel is the world’s greatest need.

I thought and thought and thought about this. I think the world could use a giant chill pill. People need to be more empathetic and see daily life through the eyes of others. Nobody has an easy walk. I also think the lack of empathy is made worse when people take themselves too seriously. Why bother walking a mile in another’s shoes if your shoes are pinching? Get a bigger size. Invest a little more. Pretty soon, we could all be wearing clown shoes. How comfy.

Mary DeMuth says this is where “need and joy collide.”

Next, think of your 3 favorite movies.

I listed them above. You are supposed to find the common thread that runs through your 3 favorites.

This was fairly easy. In each film, one of the main ideas is the peril of being misunderstood or judged wrongly. This ties in surprisingly well with the first exercise. Also, my 3 favorites are comedies. I love to laugh at everything from the subtle sweet humor of Harvey to the witty banter in The Awful Truth to El Guapo’s birthday sweater in The Three Amigos.

And: Plethora.

Anyway, this was the fun part of the exercise. I suppose in an earlier age, I would have thought of my 3 favorite books or stories. Quickly surveying mine, I see these same ideas of being misunderstood or misjudged.

Finally, ask for the insight of other people.

Mary DeMuth asked her friends at Facebook what her “one thing” is. I tried to imagine what people might say about my one thing. I feel a bit shy about actually asking friends at Facebook.

But then it’s not like asking people to hoe my sweet corn field. If I had an imaginary sweet corn field.

Then I began to fret a bit that my “one thing” isn’t obvious to others. Am I too consumed by trivial junk to let that light shine?

How can I help people feel understood? Learn empathy? Laugh at themselves a bit?

Where better than right here, at home, with my children. That doesn’t mean I can’t or shouldn’t make an impact in the bigger, broader world. It simply means that first things come first.

What is your passion?

4 comments to My passion has big ears

  • edj

    I think your passion is admirable! Now I will have to think about mine… which may very well be similar…

  • I really think passion is underrated. Thanks for the tips! I’ll have to try them out.

  • Amy

    I’m going to have to give this a try. I have a feeling that my passion will be strangely similar to yours.

  • Off the top of my head I can’t even think of 3 movies! Oy. But I can answer the first part and that is HOPE. When people live with hope they are kinder to others and themselves. I’m going to think about this some more.

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