Passionate about Passion

I’ve never been interested in donuts until I heard one of my coworkers describing how good they were at this one specialty bakery. I don’t like sweet, deep-fried dough, but within seconds of him describing these particular treats and how they tasted, how they were different from other donuts, and how they made him feel, I wanted to know more.

In February, some of my coworkers attended the CLAC Ontario Stewards Conference, where they raved about a workshop on harassment and bullying. It was three hours long and on a difficult topic, but they said the time flew by because the speaker was so engaging.

My youngest daughter speaks with passion about almost everything. She’s only seven and to her, everything is amazing and everyone should know about it. I had never heard about pangolins—a strange type of scaly, ant-eating mammal, but after she passionately told me about them, I had to check them out.

If someone is passionate about something, people can’t help but be drawn to them.

It’s why in most movies, the main character is driven—almost to the point of excess—about something. In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker is determined to be a Jedi. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones is obsessed with discovering lost artifacts.

And it doesn’t have to be something that big or exciting. In The Hundred Foot Journey, the main characters are obsessed with fine food.  In Akeelah and the Bee, Akeelah is determined to win the spelling bee.

I recently had the pleasure of talking with some workers about the work they do. When I asked Roman, a millwright at Maple Leaf Poultry in Edmonton, what he likes about his job, his answer was: “I like the challenge. We deal with challenges every day and I just simply like what I do. My job is almost like a hobby. I get up every morning with a smile on my face because I’m coming to work. If I wasn’t proud of myself, the people I work with and the company I work for, I wouldn’t be working here. Everybody should be proud of who they are and what they do for a living.”

That sort of answer immediately made me want to work with him. His job isn’t easy or glamourous, but his passion for his job—even after 30 years—made me excited about it.

Near the end of the movie, The Greatest Showman, Philip Carlyle says, “You know, Barnum, when I first met you, I had an inheritance, acclaim, an invitation to every party in town. And now, thanks to you, all that’s gone. All that’s left is friendship, love, and work that I adore. You brought joy into my life.” 

Carlyle’s character really wasn’t interesting or likeable until that moment—but after that he became the hero.

If you’re able to bring passion to just about anything, others will be interested in it and gravitate toward you.

Whether it’s pangolins, donuts, solving problems, or the work you do for a living, bring some passion to your life and job. Everyone around you will appreciate it.