Passion versus Emotion

When considering hiring people I’m looking for passion.  Strong enthusiasm for some one thing or collection of things.  Not simply things of value – but fire, energy, spirit even fanaticism.  Enthusiasm is so important within a team, and for life itself.  Negativity and blame is so damaging.  Unfortunately, passion is rare.  Few people are reasoned and enthusiastic, most are emotional or reactive.

Passion and purpose go hand in hand.  Seldom do you interact with people of purpose without them arousing strong beliefs, values and favour.  It is part of who they are, their character and personality.  Not everyone portrays their passion as enthusiastically as David Attenborough but underneath the demeanour there could lie a controlled enthusiasm which when unleashed shows an inner drive and determination.  These are the people I’m looking for.

Emotion on the other hand often sees joy and anger go hand in hand.  Emotion being instinctive and reactive.  Passionate people can also be emotional, however the underlying rationale behind their emotion will be driven by their strong sense of fervour and zeal around their favoured subject or set of principles and beliefs.  Purely emotional people seldom have a strong direction in their lives.  Their instinctive reaction to things is most often their motivator – driven by events, other people or institutions.

It doesn’t seem to matter, in my opinion, what passion is, as long as the intent is constructive, instructive and positive.  When it comes to selecting a career or employment or building a business I think it’s essential that passions coincide with what is needed to enjoy one’s role and to profit from the exercise.  Not much point in being a concert pianist in Wellington if you don’t enjoy performing in front of people or if you only have one show a year.  Your career or business needs you to be passionate about all aspects of your purpose (why you are doing what you are doing) how to be good at it, and unless you are an altruist – it needs to make you a dollar.

Converting the passion for one’s career into a planned and purposeful life – now there’s a goal – an aspiration.

When you are well planned you are most able to react to life’s hurdles and interruptions as and when they occur.  On the other hand, when you are directionless and only able to respond to the next temptation or event – then you have become subservient.  A situation in which many have become accustomed.  It is not how this country was built.  We were once a country of entrepreneurs.  Free thinkers and freedom lovers.  In my opinion – we are gradually becoming more accepting of political will and international influence – through corporate, financial and government intervention.  ‘Well meaning regulation’.

As financial understanding and financial wellness develops in this country, people will make better decisions with their money and therefore their goals and aspirations.  It is happening albeit slowly through some good and some bad developments.  The good is the accumulation occurring in KiwiSaver accounts.  Better questions are being asked about risk, return, taxation, liquidity, flexibility and fees.  The bad is the growth of personal debt, primarily housing debt with young families as they purchase property for home or investment.  The upside of large mortgages is that advice is sought more consistently and banks are expecting tougher criteria and qualification to be met and understood.

But when you are age 20, surely you understand the need to ultimately live somewhere, with someone.  Why wait to age 30 to start the planning?  And that’s my point.  Planning and passion work together.  Harness the passion, consider the future, work together (with partner or planner) and determine a purpose in life.  Leave the emotion to the media. 

Whether age 20 or age 60 your life is a series of daily decisions and daily disciplines – the accumulation of which will determine who you are and what you can do.  The enthusiasm with which you participate is the barometer, and passion the temperature gauge.  Passionate people are hot!  Emotional people are hot and cold!