We excel in the things that we are most passionate about.
Look at the top performers in just about any field, from real estate moguls like Donald Trump to superstar athletes like Kobe Bryant, and you’ll notice that they are all extremely passionate about what they do. Since Kobe Bryant is one of my favorite athletes, I’ll use him as an example of how passion is a combination of love and hate.
When you watch Kobe Bryant play, especially in the final minutes of the game, its hard not to see his passion. Even those who don’t know too much about basketball can see it. This is because, well, usually its written all over his face. He tends to extend his jaw outwards, sort of like a snarl, while he is taking over a game. And typically, when you see him do this, you’ll notice the opposing team’s coach immediately call a time out.
What is passion made of?
What makes Kobe’s passion so strong, you ask? It’s the love that he has for the game, and the love that he has for winning. And at the same time, its how much he hates to lose and how much he hates the disappointment that comes it. But every professional athlete (or anyone for that matter) loves winning and hates losing, right? Right, but only to a certain extent.
Kobe’s love for winning and hatred for losing is much greater than most of his colleagues. This is evidenced by how hard he practices. Even when he was on the U.S. Olympic basketball team surrounded by the best of the best in the NBA as teammates, he managed to inspire them all with the hard work and dedication he put into practice.
Do you need both love and hate in order to have passion?
No, not necessarily. Having one or the other could suffice. But having both certainly does not hurt. And the more you have of each, the greater your passion becomes.
For example, one of my passions in life is financial freedom. I love the things that come with financial freedom like the freedom, time, health, and luxury. But I hate the things that the lack of financial freedom brings like feeling trapped, not being able to afford what I want, or just settling in general.
What I want to make clear is that the love I have for financial freedom is more than enough for me to be passionate about it. But when you add the hatred I have for what comes with the lack of financial freedom into the equation, my passion multiplies.
So, why and how can you become more passionate?
When you are passionate about something, you’re desire for it becomes so strong that it becomes hard for you not to act on it. You’ll be able to find the will power within yourself to take action to get what you want instead of just sitting there wishing for it. But sometimes, passion for something doesn’t come naturally. You have to feed it by thinking of what you want the most in life, and making a list of all of the positive benefits you will reap from it as a result. Then, make another list of why you would hate not having that thing in your life.
Every time you find yourself getting discouraged or straying away from what you desire, just look at your list. In fact, look at it everyday regardless. Always remind yourself of why you love what it is you want, and why you hate not having it. Eventually, you will find yourself becoming more and more passionate about it. But note that, just like Kobe, you want to focus much more on the positive aspect (the part you love) than the negative (the part you hate). But you can use both to become more passionate and use them as a tool to motivate yourself.
