Did you know (I didn’t) that the word passion comes from the Latin word “pati,” which means to suffer or endure?  The connection resonates with me.  Passion is intense, it pulls us, it drives us to new places, and sometimes, it even eludes us.

End-of-summer is the perfect time to get our passions in order, I think.  Warm weather makes us either wilt in the heat or chase after every dream we ever had because the back-to-business seriousness of fall and winter are coming. 

If you’re in need of some passion-prioritizing, try this exercise:

1.  Make a list of your current passions.  One might be a hobby, one might be a relationship, one might be a dream. 

2.  Next to each passion, write down whether or not you think you have to suffer for it.  Are your fingers nicked from failed attempts to accomplish a perfectly julienned carrot?  Does your significant other drive you bats?  Are you wrestling with the title for the short story you’ve been sweating over? 

3.  Ask yourself if each passion is worth it.  Looking at your list, are there any that no longer give you that spark of excitement, curiosity, drive, and life force that they one did?  Passions that once consumed us might suddenly no longer rank.  That’s ok, letting go of an old passion can free you up for a new one.

I’m curious to know what’s left on your list, and why you still endure your passions.  Or, do you disagree with notion of passion’s inherent connection with suffering?  Are your passions more purely joyful than deliciously difficult? 

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