by Vanessa Wesley
first published on Feb 4, 2008

Passion, interestingly, literally means “intense or great suffering and/or actions motivated by anger or pain.”   Years ago I was shocked to read that in the dictionary.  I always considered passion what you love to do and something motivated by joy.  Upon reflection, however, this makes perfect sense.

Within each of us is something that angers us about the world we live in.  It is where we perceive great suffering occurring in the world.  Perhaps it’s the abuse of the environment, or the mistreatment of animals, or perhaps it’s the inadequate educational system.  Whatever it is that you feel strongly about is where you will find your passion.

Think about this for a moment.  What is it about the world you live in, the country you live in, or the community you live in that angers you?  What is it that you think should be changed, made better or more useful?  Find this, and you will have the key to your passion.

You are DESIGNED to live a life of passion.  You are designed to follow your Heart’s yearning, which may be why it rises within us so fervently and so strongly.  Ignoring this call to passion generally leads to such ailments as depression, distress, sadness, resentment, or a deep sense of “missing out” on something.

This is why following our passion is vital.  When something is vital it is life affirming and life enhancing!  We are designed energetically to affirm and embrace life.  Have you noticed that when you are dancing to life, loving what you are doing, you feel vibrant, energized, and ALIVE!

But, wait a minute!  That’s loving what we’re doing.  How does knowing what angers us fit into that picture?  Okay, here is where a story would be helpful.

Several years ago I had that feeling of “missing out” on my calling.  I didn’t know what I was “supposed” to do, just that I wasn’t doing it, and I really wanted to know what it was.  Not knowing felt painful!  Daily I asked myself, “What am I supposed to do, what is my purpose, why do I feel so vacant?”  At the time, my daughter was four years old, and I loved being mom, but within was a gnawing and a Knowing I was here to do something else too.  This was a time of real struggle for me.  Have you ever felt this?

One day I asked my brother-in-law what he thought about this.  He said, Vanessa, aren’t you doing each day exactly what you are supposed to be doing?  Isn’t what you do now, each day, prepare you for what you will do?”  This was profound for me; it made me ask, “What is it that I do?”  In that moment, I looked in front of me.  Sitting on numerous bookshelves were scores of books on subjects pertaining to wellness, healing, nutrition, psychology, and so forth.  I loved reading and learning about these topics!

But, what was leading me to these topics?

Back then it really angered me that with all the information available most of us still did not know how to find the direction in our lives that we are inherently designed to live.  In that moment of realization, of touching my anger, I knew that what I really wanted to do was to provide a way for others to know that within them laid their answers.

As soon as I recognized this as a fervent desire of mine, the Universe swung open its doors and led me to La Rue who had “the way.”  By utilizing Evolutional Kinesiology I began living a life passionately doing what I love, helping myself and others choose actions directed by innate wisdom.

Did that story help?  You see, it was the anger that sparked the desire.  Desire is the energizing fuel of passion.  We convert something we are angry about, or perceive as suffering into something we love.  Living a life from passion moves you from the perception of suffering into the action of service.  The ultimate act of suffering becomes transmuted into the ultimate act of Love.

Living a life directed by your passion is how you are designed, intrinsically, to live.  Each of you has within you a seed of passion, even if you not know what it is right now.  It’s there because it is your vital design—your intrinsic blueprint.  The best part is the sensations of your Whisper will direct you toward uncovering and following your passion.

Uncovering Your Passion in 3-Easy Steps

(1) Passion is recognized as a fervent desire to end some perceived suffering you see or experience. So, first recognize and name what it is you are angry about. To do this take a look at what you enjoy doing and ask what is driving that activity. Make two lists, one of all the activities you love to do, the other of what is driving that activity, the anger or concern that is fueling it.

I have a friend who loves to cook and has a plethora of cookbooks and home recipes.  Along with loving the activity of cooking what drives the activity is the intense desire to eat and feed her family healthy foods.  It really angers her that we have become a “fast food” society, and that the price of food is outrageous.

(2) If you already know what your passion is, jump down to #3.  If you are not sure what angers or deeply concerns you about the world, write down two or three subjects you argue passionately about, or that if talked about trigger emotion in you.  This is when Snapshot Clicks* may show up.  You get clear memories that give you messages about your passion.  I had a snapshot of how I was called “fanatical” when I would launch into a tirade about how people make terrible decisions because they don’t know how to listen to inner guidance!

My friend is concerned about soil depletion, pesticide use, storage of foods and so forth.  If you get her started she would talk to you about this for hours!  Her passion is cooking unusual foods, but it is driven from her belief about the “sanctity of food.”

(3) Now its time to find how what you love to do relates to what angers you?  Look at your two lists, the one that shows all the things you really love to do, and the other of the areas or topics that anger you about the world/community/society.  What connections do you see?  Imagine various ways you can use what you love to do to transmute the anger.

It no longer angers me when I notice people struggling to gain certainty in their life.  Passion is one of the few ways to sublimate anger.  It is through doing what we love passionately that we turn what we perceive as suffering into a vehicle for transformation and release.  We convert something we are angry about into something we love.  The passion then becomes compassion.

By the way, my friend teaches her own cooking classes, helping others to eat healthfully and inexpensively.

*Snapshot Click is one of the Six Distinct Ways covered in great detail in the Inner Advantage Training Class.

This entry is filed under Vanessa Wesley, Weekly Whisper Articles.