Bring Passion Back To Everyday Life

I have four important distinctions to make with you today. A distinction is an important difference between two things. Oftentimes, it’s the difference that makes the difference.

Stress vs. pressure

Stress is something we all have.

It’s not going away; it’s a sign we are alive. The question is how you handle it.

Pressure, on the other hand, is what we tell ourselves about the stress in our lives. It’s a self-induced, inside job.

Have to vs. get to

To understand what I am getting at here, just pay attention to how many times a day you catch yourself thinking or saying, “I have to …” “Have to” implies resistance, obligation, drudgery, etc. It’s simply a motivation reducer. “Get to,” on the other hand, brings with it excitement, desire and perhaps even fun.

Privilege vs. burden

It’s human nature to turn some of our privileges into burdens. When we see events or tasks in our lives as burdens, we get weighed down.

That’s when we feel worn out and overwhelmed all the time. When we view events and tasks as privileges, we bring a much stronger attitude to our daily lives.

Passion vs. dread

Think of a time you dreaded doing something. It’s not a lot of fun, is it?

Now think about a time you were really passionate about doing something. Maybe only excited about getting it done. Which did you like better?

Let’s investigate what following these two different patterns can do for us.

Picture going into your day with this combination: pressure/have to/ burden/dread. This view would negatively influence even the most pleasurable of experiences. It can drain the motivation and life right out of you. You wind up asking yourself really exciting questions such as: How will I ever do all this? How can I face this? I don’t know if I can get through this.

Get into the habit of this approach and it’s amazing how much your anxiety will increase. It can also make you feel tired, sad and even depressed.

Hurry up and get off that path. You don’t need to stay there.

Picture taking this combination into your day: stress/get to/privilege/ passion. Simply consider what could happen if you approached your day with this attitude. One of the neat things this attitude can do is change what once looked like huge boulders in your path into small rocks and pebbles that you can handle with relative ease.

If you get into this habit of thinking, you can discover motivation and energy you didn’t know you had. Will you still feel anxious at times? Of course. Anxiety is a normal human emotion. But, you will feel less and less anxious, and much more energized to deal with what comes your way. You may even find yourself bringing passion back into your daily life.