YL

Leadership and Performance Development

Those Mesmerizing Flames

Inspiration / by

Discovering True Passion

One of the most challenging tasks is discovering true passion. I ponder what my passion is. My small list includes my faith, being a loving husband, a present father, coaching football, teaching, and mentoring our youth. I find it difficult, however, to narrow this list into sub-passions. What goes into being great at these things? I can read all the perfect husband material I want, but if there’s no application, then it is for nothing. The same is said for being the great father my daughters need. You see, the study of practices is the easy part. The application is challenging and sometimes awesomely daunting.  

Create an Ember

Why do we not apply our ideas? Why do we not act? Some say to strike while the iron is hot, but it’s easier said than done. Passion should start here. With every fire, there needs to be a spark. Try starting a fire with a stick and see how that works out. It takes time, pressure, repetition, heat, air, persistence, the right conditions, and materials, among other things. The goal is to create that one ember that falls perfectly into a nest of dry grass. You must nurture the ember. Cover it like a baby and apply subtle breaths of air. Let it glow and become hot. It then catches and creates a tiny flame that quickly burns its small bed.

It is here where you must act quickly and apply your kindling. If unprepared, the ember will be wasted, and you must start over. Don’t waste your ember. Gather your firewood before you begin. The fire will then grow with the addition of timely fuel. Small at first, but it will gain strength and become a wild, magnificent fire. 

Maintaining the Fire

Maintaining the fire takes much attention. It will not remain on its own and requires a caretaker — the constant watchful eye, analyzing the placement and extinguishment of each log. The nurturer must continually add logs. With each new log comes energy. You can read it in the mesmerizing flames.

Passion is a reflection of fire. The physical and mental stress it requires to build the initial ember represents seeking and discovering one’s passion. It takes time, pressure, repetition, heat, air, persistence, certain conditions, and materials. There is a small window in which we must take action and pursue our determined passions. We must hunt and create a massive pile of kindling. Then be ready to add it to the flame.  

It looks like this:

  • Continual action
  • Studying our craft
  • Seeking out mentors and asking questions to those that have been there before us
  • Taking the hard, narrow road
  • Prayer
  • Exercise
    • developing or maintaining our physical strengths
  • Constant self-reflection
  • Having the ability to say “No”
  • See patterns & predict things you think will happen
  • Etc.

Smoke

Cultivate these tasks over time and reflect upon them. They need to be adjusted and stirred. With focus and care, the passion can become red hot. So hot that it can form and shape you and potentially others. How do you see your fire? What kind of energy is it putting off? Is it developing the world around us, or are you still working on your ember? Apply the stress and create friction. When you see smoke, celebrate, and keep moving forward.  

A painting of a fire, no matter how real it looks, can not keep you warm.

Someone

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