Passion.
Is needful?
Does it help or does it hinder.I pondered the subject of passion while I read this book by Ken Jennings. It is his passion. 'Maphead gives equal time to that downtrodden underclass: America's map nerds.' It wasn't until I was several chapters into the book that I came to the realization that the author was the game show wiz from jeopardy. I enjoy maps and have in fact read several other books on maps (
Maps That Made History: The Influential, the Eccentric and the Sublime by Lez Smart,
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time ; and The Mapmakers; ) Ok, I realize that having read four books on the subject is probably three too many for most. One off shoot in Jennings book that I enjoyed was the digression on a corollary to maps - that of geocaching. Though I've only done it several times with groups of scouts - I've enjoyed the challenge of it. Which must be intriguing to those who have wandered a city with me, where i am definitely slow to orient myself to a map. - just ask Brigham of my navigation skills in Normandy. Back to the book- Not a great read of a book, not incredibly well written- but I enjoyed it.
Now to the original subject - passion.Passion classically is a strong affection or enthusiasm for an object, concept, or thing. The M.A.P. Maker describes passion as - the energy that comes from bringing more of YOU into what you do.
Simply put, it's being who you are. When what you do is in alignment with who you are, you get energy from doing it. Wikipedia describes it as: The term is also often applied to a lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity or love – to a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm or compelling emotion, a positive affinity or love, towards a subject. - It's like water flowing along its natural riverbed. It actually gains energy from the path it's taking (compare that to what most people experience in their work, which is more like trying to force it up and over a mountain). So how do you find your passion. One way is to do some reverse engineering to identify the underlying characteristics that tend to be in place when you're on fire; when your energy is building. Simply ask the question, “Will this bring me closer to alignment with what energizes me, or farther away?”
its interesting looking at college application process as one does with a high school senior. In recent times colleges looked for the well-balanced applicant whereas today they look for passion. That challenge might cause one to pre-maturely jump onto a false passion for sake of show.
But the greatest benefit of this new emphasis on passion is that it encourages students to find something that is truly theirs, to assert their identity and interests in a concrete way, to employ the discipline and to experience the challenges that come from the enthusiastic — indeed, passionate — engagement in an interest. Are all passions good - no. Is a passion essential - perhaps not. But the search for one, done right, can be a tremendous great trip and follows a map of discovery.
