Nothing makes life more intensely enjoyable than the presence of Passion and nothing more dull and difficult than its absence.
This hit me today as I was reading a terrific Blog about “what makes a premium brand.” In response to a recent tour of an inspired company, blogging juggernaut, Chris Brogan says, something I’ve long known true, “You can’t fake passion.”
A profound and universal truth this is. Think about it…
You can’t fake passion in art, in speaking, in relationship, in sex, in acting, in life. Just the same, you can’t fake passion in your work—and real Passion is coveted and demands a premium
Actors don’t fake it—the great ones receive big money because they aren’t faking passion but rather accessing it on demand. They feel it. It’s passion we covet in our athletes, in our performers at every level. Ever seen music done without passion? Probably not since Milli Vanilli. Pretty painful.
Yet Fake Passion is Everywhere
The fact that you can’t fake passion doesn’t prevent people from trying—early and often. Fake passion is all over the place—especially on TV. A notorious source of passion faked is infomercials. That news anchor worthy big-tooth smile and orgasmic energy over a toaster oven is over-the-top.
And really, how many people actually believe Chuck Norris is truly passionate about that sliding gym thingy?
Not me. It’s clearly a profit gig. Not wrong, just is.
On stage or on the field, passion is much easier to spot—to experience—than in less “live” things like a book or a meal. For “live” performances demand little from you and I—we can remain passive. On the other hand, the written word requires you to read as a meal requires your involvement. Still, it’s common to hear people refer to “tasting the chef’s passion for food” in a meal.
Passion Drives Performance and Results
My passion for helping people live fuller, stronger, freer and more vibrant lives is manifested in everything I do, from the books or articles I write to the Full Strength Premium Nutrition Shake.
Full Strength is an expression of my passion for excellence—and yet these simply words if you’ve not experienced it firsthand. Absent of experience, the words alone admittedly sound like the sort of things people say to sell you something. This is the risk one takes in using words to convey an experience. This I understand.
Read my most recent book, Strength for Life, and you’ll feel my passion fast… it’s hard to miss. Yet, for all the heart I’ve poured into Full Strength, until you know have some exposure to the fire that burns inside me—what makes me tick—you might think Full Strength is just the best nutrition shake ever.
Add some part of my story (which you can see in some of my videos here) you’ll get that for me the only business worth doing, worthy of investing time, money and effort in, is one driven by passion. While there are a million ways to make more money, faster, especially in the often wild supplement market, it’s my belief that only passion can propel a truly great product. It is the only true sustainable advantage—in life and in business.
The drive for profits alone will wear thin. Even immense riches will eventually become empty and meaningless and back you will be searching for a business that ignites your passion. Being in business is hard, challenging work but making impact is the real reward. When someone “gets it,” when a life is changed it’s all worth every ounce of time and effort.
What’s this have to do with your life? With your fitness?
Good question… Allow me to translate this wisdom to your fitness and life.
If you’ve been at all focused on living a fit, vibrant life I’m sure you known times of great passion and energy, when you enjoyed activities that made staying fit effortless, and times of arduous challenge—when your training was as inspired as paint-by-numbers.
The difference between these two states is dramatic—as different as night and day. Just as it is in business, if you’re into fitness for the payout only—to profit either by gaining something, be it recognition, money or other; you’re running on borrowed time and finite energy. Good news is you may get to the finish line but you’ll fall short of the ultimate win. You may gain fitness, temporarily, but you will fall short of gaining your fitness freedom. You will have learned to survive but failed to embrace a sustainable lifestyle.
The true win is in the passion of the activity—in making it part of your lifestyle. Or as I say, “to stop doing fitness and start being fit.”
For example, should I take on bike riding solely to fulfill a commitment or challenge, I may finish but only through considerable suffering and resistance. And ultimately it’s this resistance that will prevent me from finding the beauty, the perfection, the nirvana in each moment of the ride.
As is often the case in Transformation challengers, “if I hate myself forward from start to finish, tolerating every painful moment of it, what have I achieved other than a temporary boost to the ego?” I may change my body and gain health back but I’ll still stop as soon as I finish.
On the other hand, whatever my reason for engaging, should I take on a challenge and find my “happy place” along the way—be that my life made better by some aspect of the journey (not simply the destination) I will have revealed my passion and who I am will stand forever changed.
May your passions burn bright and
inspire a life time of challenge, achievement and contribution.
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Mark,
Thanks for the question… good one, really.
Passion… how to find it? Well, there’s the digging deep into what makes one tick… getting brutally real with yourself. That’s one route but may be hard on your own for it’s our own character strategy (how we’ve learned to survive) that keep us from knowing or tapping into your deepest passions.
So another route would be through action. Motivation, which is not the same as passion but related, truly follows action. We so often wait for it to drive us when in fact motivation is found when we drive without it… first.
Want passion… take action. Find things you love. Meditate, listen, journal, get in touch with nature, get out. Watch the sunset. Fall in love, again… with life.
I think this is a great topic to explore… let’s get into it.
In Strength & Passion,
Shawn
I remember when I first read this post and tried to apply the info. Now Passion is still what I am lacking right now in my life. I know this may look like a stupid question but how does one start feeling or expressing authentic passion for what interests them?
I agree to this that nothing makes life more intensely enjoyable than the presence of Passion and nothing more dull and difficult than its absence,so if you have a healthy skin and body just continue fitness.
sphin
I really enjoyed this post! It made several distinctions that I’ve experienced and appreciated, first hand.
I certainly experience and appreciate the sincerity and passion that you clearly bring to your work. I like the illustration, too, in which you highlight the distinction between infomercial “fake” passion and authentic, performance passion.
I’m grateful for this shot of inspiration, which will help me on the treadmill, in a moment!