Maintaining Our Passion

“Ocean, Daddy! Ocean!”  My 2-year old granddaughter, Maggie Rose, emphatically thrust her arm towards  the cold water of the Atlantic at Bethany Beach, Del., where our family was vacationing. Her meaning?  I want to go in, now!

Although the ocean was cold to us adults, Maggie had to be coaxed out of the water even when her lips turned blue. She then delighted in racing the waves as they lapped up on the beach. Her delighted squeal as she played in the water was the highlight of the week.

I thought about Maggie’s passion for the ocean and realize how many people lose their passion for their work and their lives, fading to a hum drum mediocrity. I enjoy learning from the experts on this topic and have heard some excellent advice.  I especially value the wisdom of Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine and the author of The Compound Effect.

When we think about maintaining – or restoring – our passion for our work and life, the steps often are small ones.  But taken repeatedly they add up over time to make a profound difference.

1. Read some information or stories that are positive for your first 10 minutes of the day – those emails can wait. Then finish the day with 10 minutes of positive reading.  So much of the news of our day is negative that we need to bulwark our outlook or we will be dragged down by the sea of negativity.  Suggested reading: The Bible, Success, or an intriguing book like Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
2. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Think about three positive things that happened that day before you go to sleep. Even in a lousy day, you can find three positives.  Gratitude can have a positive effect on our health too.
3. Surround yourself with positive people when you can. I have benefitted from being around people of all ages at my church and business owners at groups like Business Networking International.  Being around positive people helps you stay positive.
4. Fight against presentation fatigue. You might have a successful presentation that works well. But if you get bored and change it, frequently your results begin to lag. Stick with a  good presentation. For many of your contacts this could be the first time they’ve heard it. Even if they have heard it before, good information bears repeating. This is true in sales, in parenting, in education and in ministry.

Quote of the day

“Our greatest weakness is in giving up.  The most certain way to success is to try one more time,” Thomas Edison, prolific inventor and holder of over 1,000 patents