Reading my fellow 30-day blog challenge posters (#30DBC), I'm inspired to write a follow-on piece to one written by Wendy Cobrda, which was in turn a follow-on piece to one by Cliff Cardin.
Cliff wrote about "focused effort", which is based on knowing what you want, and being willing and able to devote time and effort to achieving that goal. He emphasized that the degree of effort people put into achieving their goal is what distinguishes experts from those who are merely educated or knowledgable. Wendy added another dimension to that idea, talking about passion as the third key element in enriching one's life and making it all it can and should be. She said: "It's the reason you get up early in the morning, and the excuse for why you can't quiet your mind at night". Wendy writes about passion being a gift that gives joy and purpose to your life and is sad for those who seem to never find their passion, but rather plod through their lives in a fog, not even realizing that something is missing.
I agree with both my fellow bloggers, and would like to add yet another element to this discussion: learning to recognize and follow our passion. Passion per se, cannot be taught; it just IS. But seeking and recognizing ones passion can be encouraged, coached, taught.
The world at large and the major institutions (schools, churches, governments) tend to encourage uniformity, partly through necessity. While they hopefully also emphasize and teach excellence, it is an excellence in things proscribed by others. Who then, can teach us the search for passion? If they are lucky, children learn this life-giving lesson both from their parents and from individual teachers.
One of my all-time favorite movies, Dead Poet's Society, is about teaching passion. Robin Williams is masterful in this role, literally teaching non-conformism in a very structured institution bound by tradition and rules. He challenges his charges to reach deep within themselves to find what excites them, to reach beyond expectation, to experience and relish moments of the sublime. "Seize the day boys! Seize the day!"
As parents we can also teach our children to reach into their hearts and souls to identify the activities, the ideas, the interests that make their souls sing, and encourage them to follow that song, even if it means they will be marching to a different drummer than their peers. We can encourage them to follow their hearts rather than peer pressure, reward them for standing up for what they believe, teach them that variety is what makes the world rich. We can not only talk about how people came to choose the paths they've taken, but how happy they seem with their choices. We teach it by exposing them to our own passions, talking about how those have influenced our life choices, and how that compares to what others might have hoped or expected from us.
And when all is said and done, we turn them loose and admire them for the passionate experts they have become.
I agree with both my fellow bloggers, and would like to add yet another element to this discussion: learning to recognize and follow our passion. Passion per se, cannot be taught; it just IS. But seeking and recognizing ones passion can be encouraged, coached, taught.
The world at large and the major institutions (schools, churches, governments) tend to encourage uniformity, partly through necessity. While they hopefully also emphasize and teach excellence, it is an excellence in things proscribed by others. Who then, can teach us the search for passion? If they are lucky, children learn this life-giving lesson both from their parents and from individual teachers.
One of my all-time favorite movies, Dead Poet's Society, is about teaching passion. Robin Williams is masterful in this role, literally teaching non-conformism in a very structured institution bound by tradition and rules. He challenges his charges to reach deep within themselves to find what excites them, to reach beyond expectation, to experience and relish moments of the sublime. "Seize the day boys! Seize the day!"
As parents we can also teach our children to reach into their hearts and souls to identify the activities, the ideas, the interests that make their souls sing, and encourage them to follow that song, even if it means they will be marching to a different drummer than their peers. We can encourage them to follow their hearts rather than peer pressure, reward them for standing up for what they believe, teach them that variety is what makes the world rich. We can not only talk about how people came to choose the paths they've taken, but how happy they seem with their choices. We teach it by exposing them to our own passions, talking about how those have influenced our life choices, and how that compares to what others might have hoped or expected from us.
And when all is said and done, we turn them loose and admire them for the passionate experts they have become.
I actually home schooled my children so that they might find their passions without the peer pressure to be like everyone else. It is such an important lesson regardless of how we convey it to our children.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! That's a tough call, and one that teaches by example, that you don't have to "go with the flow".
ReplyDeleteLiga, you are so right on with this post. All the pieces can fit together but unless you realize it and nurture it, you'll miss the opportunity to go from good to great, passionate contributors.
ReplyDeleteRight on about the nurture Wendy! If you watch babies and young children, it is easy to come to the conclusion that they are BORN passionate and excited; think about how fascinated and happy babies are to discover their feet, their hands, peek-a-boo, toys that make noise, crayons.... . I believe it is our job as parents not only to nurture that, but to safeguard that others do not quash that passion in our kids, and in us.
ReplyDeleteThis is really good Liga, it's true too. You either have passion for something or you don't but how you channel and use that passion is the part that can and should be taught. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt isn't easy in this day and age when school's expect so much from our children. Seems like we don't have enough time in the day after homework sometimes to explore. Thanks for sharing, it's a great reminder that passion isn't just something that I may be seeking within my career and goals, but something I should be more aware of for my children as well.
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