Passion is a Dirty Word
David Bailey once told Cosmopolitan that from a very early age he was aware of his passion for photography. At a very early age I was just impressionable, probably from reading too much Cosmopolitan and was left feeling grossly inadequate for not possessing such fervour. The conundrum of passion taunted me for years. It was the looming big black nemesis of my every interview, usually the final prying question that brought to light my sadly lacking ‘raison d’etre’.
I soon learnt to give sleuth like replies where I regurgitated an embellished form of their own job application back to them - which we both lived to regret. I began to master how to divert the conversations towards their passions, which often worked wonders in the moment, but never resulted in an offer of employment. Once I even tried telling the truth, which felt slightly liberating even when I was gently rejected by a bemused gentleman who recommended the first tactic for future interviews.
If you fall into the same boat, where the word passion feels like an untouchable but strained form of excitement, but you’d still like to feel a little closer to your calling. This might help:
Think of one moment in your life where you felt like you’d stumbled upon something magical. The moment you never fail to replay to your family around the dinner table. Maybe it’s the picture on Instagram that you’ve tried to self ‘like’ more than once or that cherished recollection that will one day find its way into your memoirs. Now write three adjectives that you would use to describe that moment in time.
That's you!
You unpredictable, uncomfortable, unstructured (*insert your own adjectives) Don Juan! How beguiling you are trotting through life so at ease with yourself. So in the moment and oh so naturelle! Maybe living your adjectives long term, at full pelt is a recipe for high blood pressure, but seep a little of one into each week and you’ll be closer to the no pressure, passionate you.
