People with Passion

When you awake in the mornings, what gives you the passion to get out of bed? Oxford Learner’s Dictionary (2021) defines passion as “a very strong feeling of liking something; a hobby, an activity, etc.” Do you have a lifelong passion? For me, there are days when I want to remain in bed and sleep especially when it rains. Since I have a job, I need to survive, and I have the desire to impact lives, I must get out of bed. For some people, as soon as they are hungry that is when they get out of bed. For others, the reason they get out of bed is because of routine. Whatever your reason for getting out of bed whether to take care of your family, to go for your morning exercise or just to browse social media sites, we all have something that gives us drive to rub the sleep away from our eyes and get going.

Over the years, I have observed people from different backgrounds and it marvels me to see the many sacrifices some make to truly get out of bed. As the old saying goes, “the early bird catches the most worms.” Many successful people are early risers and they have numerous reasons they have cultivated the habit to awake early. Some powerful leaders start their day by reading, some engage in devotional exercise, while others prepare their schedule for the day. On the other hand, there are some people who are motivated to get out of bed because it is the discipline that they have to be purposeful. In Japan, teachers are committed to arrive early at work to greet their students at the gate; that is passion. In many countries, there are people in the transportation sector who have to travel many hours to arrive at work so that others can be early for work; that is passion. Passion can also be seen when people volunteer their time to help others who are less fortunate. I believe that love motivates many individuals to stay committed to their job, hobby or other personal endeavors.

When do you really know that you have found your passion? Author Jim Clemmer in his article entitled, “Discipline Can Be Habit Forming” (2021) noted that, “Our discipline and habits spring from our passion and commitment. I find that when I have the least amount of self-discipline and have the greatest trouble forming a success habit, it’s often because my heart isn’t in it. So to motivate myself, I need to find ways to increase my passion.” I agree with Clemmer that good habits are sometimes not formed due to intrinsic motivation, but this habit needs to be developed in other ways. Similarly, Kimi Werner, a spear fisher woman in Hawaii helps to underscore what it means to have passion about what interests her. In a commentary on Kimi’s blog (2017) “The ocean has long been a source of sustenance, inspiration and adventure for Kimi Werner. As a young child growing up off the grid in an isolated part of coastal Maui, she floated behind her father as he freedove for her family's primary food source. Only later as an adult on Oahu did she understand the central role the ocean was to play in her life when she discovered her own passion for free diving. Kimi has gone on to become the United States National Spearfishing Champion, a certified culinary chef, an award winning artist and a sought after speaker. Her daily life is a pure fusion of her talents, rooted in sustainability and geared towards a healthy future for our global community.” To become someone who is motivated to something, you first need to identify what it is that you find interesting.

When I think about motivation and passion for getting out of bed, I am not excluding children and their reason for getting out of bed. In fact, many of our children need inspiration to get out of bed. Some parents have not given their children any responsibilities which will help to cultivate a sense of purpose to not remain in bed longer than they should. If children are given tasks to complete at home, then they are less likely to end up procrastinating especially since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. Whenever good habits are cultivated, individuals will feel a sense of commitment to any task at hand whether they are motivated by money or not. There are many adults who as children had to help their parents in the market, on the farm, in a woodwork shop, on construction sites among other jobs. While child labour is discouraged by many, allowing children to assume some chores within reason would help them to not only become responsible, but they would be able to learn vital skills for the future. Challenging your child is more reason to help them decide what they intend to pursue for their career. Without goals, children will not be able to achieve much during their formative stages of development. Once we ignore laziness from early, sleeping in bed all day is likely to be that person’s passion.

When life hits you hard and there is nowhere to find a source of income or fulfillment in doing something, then depression and undesirable habits will form. On the other hand, once the mind is empowered to find a reason to accomplish something, then there is nothing that can prevent that person from dreaming big and soaring high. I met a retired Vietnamese chef who had cancer but he was still committed to working with his colleagues who could have been his grandchildren. Mr. Chow had the expertise in creating several culinary dishes which motivated him every day to start his day early and closing the restaurant sometimes at 2 in the morning. Had he stayed home thinking about his illness and not find reason to continue making a difference in society, perhaps Mr. Chow would have passed on sooner. Recently, I had the opportunity to see four men mixing mortar on a construction site. However, to my amazement, one of the men was just gliding in the mixture with his water boots as if he were a figure skater dancing on ice. Indeed, I was mesmerized because he had demonstrated his passion for his skill at mixing mortar even though none of his other co-workers had that style. Furthermore, we cannot talk about passion without mentioning our spiritual leaders in society, who awake early to intercede in prayer for many individuals. Such sacrifices should not go unnoticed because, their commitment to engage in prayer and fasting among other outreach engagements like assisting many from the cradle to the grave, is truly sacrificial and commendable.

No job, hobby or other personal persuasion to achieve gratification to get out of bed is more superior to the other. When we develop passion for something, we do not necessarily need a college degree nor do we need to be honored with a trophy. Passion is simply passion; when it is done from the heart, all that is truly rewarding is a smile, a compliment from someone or a life that has been positively transformed. Whether you reside in rural or urban areas; or whether you are visually challenged or not; whether you are a millionaire or aspiring to be one; whether you are of African descent or not; your reason for getting out of bed must serve a purpose. However, individuals who lack motivation to awake early and find purpose in being productive should take time to observe something positive in people rather than watching to criticize them. When passion is masked for a short period, you stand to lose from evolving into a whole person where good health and inner peace are your rewards. Passion should not only be for outward show and getting the ‘likes’ on social media but the legacy left behind for generations to come will be invaluable. Our society needs more people with passion whose voice needs to be heard as this can likely to positively influence many of Jamaica’s woes.