Passion is Contagious

Lately I have been thinking a lot about passion. What are you passionate about? What is passion? How do you create passion? Is passion all consuming, where there is one passion that allows others to fit into it, or is it made up of a bunch of different passions that don't really connect but lead to an overall goal? How do you determine if you are really passionate or if you are borrowing someone else's passion? When you lose your passion for something, is it just lost? Or can you get it back? Passion is an interesting thing. And interesting concepts come with it.

Recently I completed a 6 week leadership development program. It was really enlightening for me to see and I enjoyed all the material I learned a lot. One of things that was taught ties nicely into passion. It's the Hedgehog vs Fox concept.

Here's an excerpt from an email from Brice Colby; my adviser who was teaching the program:

        "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. The fox is a cunning creature, able to devise a myriad of complex strategies for sneak attacks upon the hedgehog. Day in and day out, the fox circles around the hedgehog's den, waiting for the prefect moment to pounce. Fast, sleek, beautiful, fleet of foot, and crafty - the fox looks like the sure winner. The hedgehog, on the other hand, is a dowdier creature, looking like a genetic mix-up between a porcupine and a small armadillo. He waddles along, going about his simple day, searching for lunch and taking care of his home.

The fox waits in cunning silence at the juncture in the trail. The hedgehog, minding his own business, wanders right into the path of the fox. 'Aha, I've got you now!' thinks the fox. He leaps out, bounding across the ground, lightning fast. The littlehedgehog, sensing danger, looks up and thinks, 'Here we go again. Will he ever learn?' Rolling up into a perfect little ball, the hedgehog becomes a sphere of sharp spikes, pointing outward in all directions. The fox, bounding toward his prey, sees the hedgehog defense and calls off the attack. Each day, some version of this battle between the hedgehog and the fox takes place, and despite the greater cunning of the fox, the hedgehog always wins."

    If you remember the Squid part of the Squid and Trees theory, it's much similar to this battle between the fox      and the hedgehog. This defines how people operate in the world. Are you a fox that pursues many ends at the same time and see the world in all its complexity, never integrating your thinking into one overall concept or unifying vision? Or are you a hedgehog who simplifies a complex world into a single organizing idea, a basic principle or concept that unifies and guides everything? 

This ties in with passion because that concept you come up with, or the complexities you see all tie into your passion. In fact, one of the questions used to discover what your overall hedgehog or fox concept is is "What are you most passionate about?" 

Passion is what drives us. It's what gives us a competitive edge and the motivation to keep on going. It's the reason we are what we are and do what we do. Often times we have passions that are kept secret. In fact, until recently, I used to keep my dream in life, my greatest passion, hidden. I didn't like to tell people because I was afraid. I was afraid they wouldn't see what I really wanted to do. I was afraid they would discredit the idea and I was afraid they would laugh if I ended up failing. 

I was afraid until I watched this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft9ZnQkb8zw&list=PL95ED4A7B454DF7E9&index=6&feature=plpp_video

In this video Blake says "We all have a dream between our ears. And most of those dreams stay there because we are paralyzed by fear. The cure for fear is passion. And passion is contagious. So own it!" 

That's what I have to say about passion. Passion IS contagious. After I watched this video I sat and made a list. I listed all of my passions. I listed things I want to do in life and the goals that accompany them. I wrote out my passions. Then I talked about them. Not all at once and not with tons of confidence, but I did share. I still share. In fact, on Tuesday I was talking to people about my passions and I realized I had been talking for far longer than anyone else. Sharing passions is a great thing. Find a friend that you trust and let them know your passions and then, ask them what theirs are! Passion is contagious. It is something that other people will pick up on. 

So here's the take home from this blog. Tell people about your dreams. Figure out your hedgehog and move forward! Continue finding passions and motivating others! Don't ever, ever let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. If you have the passion, if you have the desire, go for it! Passion is contagious. Share yours! 

And do it with a smile, because after all, no one likes a frowny face!