PASSION

Passion is fire! It is the energy, the life and the drive of a vision. Without Passion a vision cannot take off, talk less of being fulfilled. Passion is the power required to overcome the inertia force of a vision. If you have dream but lacks passion, sorry the dream is already dead on arrival. A dream remains a wishful thinking and exists only in the realm of fantasy except there's enough passion to power it. 

All dreams and visions are subject a gravitational pull until there's enough passion to power it to overcome the force that keeps aground. Whenever an aircraft is about to take off, it requires the maximum power, energy to overcome the force that keeps it on the ground, gravity. It gathers its maximum momentum, power and all available resources to rise and lift into the air, to defy the law of gravity that keeps object on the ground. The bigger the aircraft, the more power it requires to take off. So also the bigger your vision the more passion you require to take off.

What is passion? Passion by its dictionary meaning is a strong and barely controllable emotion or desire. It is a strong and intense desire or enthusiasm for something. Some synonyms for passion are hunger, zeal, fanaticism, mania, fire 🔥... The Collins dictionary defines Passion as a very strong feeling about something or a strong belief in something. notice the consistency in the definition of Passion is the use of the adjective like strong, very strong, intense etc. In other words it is not passion until it is strong, very strong or intense. It is not yet passion until it burns within you because passion is fire. You can't say you have passion yet until it bites like hunger and keeps you on your feet. Passion pushes you out into another realm entirely. Passion is real it cannot be faked.

Do you see anyone achieving their dreams and aspirations in life? They are men and women of passion. All men have dreams but only few have the passion to sponsor their dream. The problem most of the time is not lack of vision but a vision that lacks passion.

Thomas Edison the inventor of the incandescent light bulb tried 199 times before getting it, only a passionate man can go that far. Martin Luther King junior risked his own life to pursue his dream. It takes only a passionate man to go that extent. Abraham Lincoln failed uncountable times in politics until he became one of the greatest President of United States; "passion"!

No one in his right senses will go after a wild bear and a ferocious lion to rescue a sheep from their powerful jaws, but that was David a man full of zeal and passion, no wonder God chose him above all his siblings. Notice it was that same passion that made him face Goliath and conquered the mighty giant. He said "the zeal of thine house has consumed me". David described his seeking God just as a wounded dear pants for the water to survive... is it surprising God called him a man after his  own heart? He sought God passionately.

There was someone who treaded the face of these earth over 2000 years ago and the world is yet to recover from his impact, his vision only lasted three and a half years but the impact is still as fresh today. Why? He was a man consumed with his mission, he said in a place "my meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me and fulfill it". You know who I am talking about, Jesus Christ!

Passion distinguishes visioneers from wishful thinkers. If your vision is yet to take off or struggling to remain afloat, you may want to check your passion level first. "Do you see a man diligent (passionate) in his business, he shall stand before Kings and not mere men". The question today is how passionate are you about that vision?

Here are some indication of a man or woman of passion:

- he believes strongly in his vision and the possibility of actualising it.

- he can see the end from the beginning and knows he can chart his course to that end.

- he is unstoppable; failures, disappointment, lack of resources, etc cannot stop him

- he is determined and resolute; he has made up his mind before beginning the journey

- he doesn't settle for less, not easily compromised

- he is willing to pay the sacrifice required to achieve his vision

- he is bold in the face of danger, calm in the midst of storm, strong in the heat of the battle.

- he is focused and not distracted

- he has a sense of urgency to achieve his dream, he is time conscious and doesn't squander time on frivolities, rather invests time in his vision.

- he remains positive about his goals and objectives; sees possibility where others sees impossibility, sees a way where there seems to be no way.

A man of passion believes all things are possible and to him that believes, all things are possible.

How to develop passion:

- Have a compelling vision that you absolutely believe in. This is the first and probably the most important step in developing a passion that is enough to actualise your dream. You may want to spend enough time at this stage to get that compelling vision clear because if you can't see it (on the inside), you can't see it (on the outside). You need to be able to believe absolutely in your dreams.
Spend time in research, fasting and prayers, meditation, planning and strategizing until the vision is real enough to compel you. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights before stepping out to accomplish his mission.

- Dream Big! Note a vision that is not bigger than you is just a task or an assignment. Your vision must be bigger than your present state and must outlive you as well. Expand your mind and see possibilities, remove limitations and dare to reach for the highest goal. You can if you believe you can.

- Write the vision down in a visible place where you can see it often and internalise it. Meditate on it till it becomes part of you. Hab. 2:1 "write the vision, make it plain upon the tables that he may run that reads it"

- Count the cost: Itemize the hurdles you need to cross or the sacrifice you need to pay to get there and strategize how to take down the hurdles one by one.

- Know your source of motivation. Identify the motivation behind your dream, this maybe the problem the vision will solve, the reward you will get from it or the people who will benefit from the vision.

- Identify your strengths and weaknesses, then leverage on your strength and master your weaknesses to accomplish the vision.

- Be ready to take risk, ready to get up if you fail.

- Deafen your ears to discouragement stay focused.

- Stir up yourself daily and keep the goal before you.

- Understand your role in the vision and stay within your role. Trying to do so many things that you are not cut out for burns out your passion quickly. Delegate, consult and assign where necessary.

- Apply wisdom: passion without wisdom destroys. Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding.

- Learn from fore runners. Get a mentor. Learning from someone who has done it before makes success cheaper. Follow them who through faith and patience inherit the promise. Heb

- Evolve with your vision. Update, unlearn, learn and relearn. Children of Issachar excelled because they had understanding of the times.

- Challenge yourself. Raise the stake each time you conquer a goal to keep the fire burning. Apostle said I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind, I press forward towards the mark of the high calling. Gloating over the success of yesterday is the greatest passion slayer.

- Last but not the least, if you must  develop your passion it must start NOW. Now is the time!

God bless you as your embark on the fulfilment of your life goals, visions and aspirations.

See you at the top!