I wanted to share my experience in relation to discovering a passion and then transforming that passion into a purpose. I want to tell you a story about turning my dreams into my reality.
I was about 12 years old when I first read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird. I then re-read it another 16 times. The book really influenced my life, and I was transported to 1930’s Alabama where I breathed, lived and felt the experiences of the Finch family. For a long time, I slept with the book underneath my pillow and it travelled with me wherever I went. That’s what a good book does to you, that’s its magic.
I’m not ashamed to say that I cried – a lot. Above all, I was completely and utterly enraptured by what I believed to be the infallible character of Atticus. Actually, for a few weeks after the first reading I insisted that people call me Atticus. As you can imagine this didn’t go down very well with my mum who let me know I needed to be institutionalised ;-)
The day after I finished the book (the first read) we had a gym lesson at school and the gym teacher was a new replacement teacher … great opportunity to let her know my ‘new’ name I thought. As luck would have it, she was a big fan of the book as well and she happily went along with the idea of calling me Atticus (to the disbelief of the rest of my class). I remember her clearly, a very peroxide blond with dark roots, she was on the chubby side for a typical gym teacher and had the brightest bluest of eyes I had ever seen. She told me that she’d read the book 11 times and that Atticus was her hero.
I tell you this because reading To Kill a Mocking Bird sparked my passion (which I didn’t even know I had) and gave me a purpose and vision. At 12 years old I decided I was going to be like Atticus, I was going to be a lawyer. And I did.
I didn’t actually end up becoming a human rights or social justice lawyer. I tried that path but unfortunately I just couldn’t handle the real cases of abuse, injustice, inequality and harm that people are capable of inflicting on one another. Ironically, I ended up specialising in a branch of corporate law where I sold my soul to the devil for a few years – that was fun too. I eventually left the legal profession all together.
Did I loose my passion and purpose? I don’t believe so, and here’s another interesting thing, your passion and purpose changes and grows with you. The secret I found is to be open to that change, not to be so attached to yesterdays dreams so as to prevent new ones arising today. It’s a breathing living organism that has the power to drive you to achieve the extraordinary, but must be tended and respected like the precious thing that it is.
The other thing I found, is that its quite possible to have several passions at the same time. I can share with you now that my passion and purpose are my PhD studies, my coaching work and my family. Books and poetry have always had the power to speak to me. I know that when I’m searching for my ‘spark’ or inspiration, I should go back to my library and I’ll find something there.
I also don't think that passion is something that some of us are blessed with and others not. Its not a whim or an idealism left over from the liberal days of youth, nor is it exclusive to the wealthy or intellectual elite. Passion and purpose is what gives meaning to our lives - all of us. That’s where it gets exciting.
There are other things I love doing, for example, taking long walks, having my chocolate and coffee breaks, reading, but purpose and passion are different. Purpose and passion have a drive and energy that carry me when everyone and everything else says, “you can’t”. Purpose and passion are those dreams and hopes that keep me up at night. Purpose and passion cause the tingling feeling inside when I believe and imagine what may be possible. Purpose and passion create an excitement and joy in what I do, in the process regardless of the outcome.
I don’t think there’s a substitute for that fire of purpose and passion, because it allows us to dream and achieve all that we thought was impossible. Our task then is to find it after its been buried under layers of responsibility, chores, obligations, and just life. Seeking it out is such a personal journey; we must each travel our own path. Then when we activate our passion, it becomes the purpose that underlies all that we do. I ask you - what would we be without it?
With gratitude,
Your friend,
BB