Focus Friday: Are You Living In Passion or Stress?

Passion and Stress both harness strong emotions. Both move energy. It’s a question of what kind of emotion you are experiencing.
What is passion? It’s a strong, exciting feeling that energizes you and is generative – it builds on itself. The online Merriam Webster dictionary also gives the following definitions:

1. A strong feeling (such as anger) that causes you to act in a dangerous way.
2. A strong sexual or romantic feeling for someone.

Let’s focus on passion being a good thing, and something that enables you to tap into your life force energy. Specifically, let’s focus on harnessing your passion for your work and how you show up in your workplace.

First, it’s really important to know and notice what you are passionate about, and when you get ignited during the day. Often we experience the opposite.

Many of my clients complain about being stressed or show they are stressed-out more times than they are excited or turned on about something.
What is Stress?

1. A state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.
2. Something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.
3. Physical force or pressure.

The operative words are worry, problems and pressure. You can be full or overfull with work and not be stressed. It all depends upon how you are holding this work in your thoughts, and what feelings you experience.

If it is work you don’t want to do, aren’t good at or don’t like to do, most likely you are stressed. If it’s work you love to do then most likely you are passionate and it feeds you in some way. How are you managing your personal energy? It’s about perspective.

It’s key to be clear on what gets you tuned in, tapped in, or turned on. You can’t do this just by thinking. You discover this in the doing of the activity and then notice what you experience by way of thoughts, emotions and sensations in your body.

We all have things we don’t like to do and maybe aren’t that good at, that are parts of our job. The key is looking at what is the ratio of stress versus passion you feel during the day.

My invitation this week requires courage. Courage means moving forward with a full heart. Stop doing what causes you undue stress and start doing more of what you are passionate about.

This week’s reflection questions: What activities give you joy and energy? What depletes you and feels like an obligation? How can you bring more of what energizes you into your work and workplace?

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