Welcome to Passion Maps™

The Joys of Sharing Passion

Have you ever walked into a shop to be greeted by enthusiastic positive people who absolutely LOVE the work that they do and cannot help you enough?

Last week I had this experience in a nearby Apple Computer Store. From his sparkling eyes and vibrant energy, it was clear that the young man who served me absolutely loved his work and excitedly answered all of my questions. The other employees seemed to be equally excited about serving customers. I do not normally enjoy my visits to the local shopping centre but this time, I came away feeling wonderful from interacting with people who truly wanted to share their passion for what they do. It can be a rare thing to come by.

I came home feeling curious about this experience, googled Apple and found out that the Apple Stores employ people for their passion for Apple products and not for their capacity to sell products. The salaries they offer are low but they have a waiting list. Fascinating!

On the other hand, have you ever found yourself in a boring meeting with a small number of participants droning away, sending others slouching into a painful semi-awake state, hands shielding their half open eyes, wishing they could be anywhere else, perhaps even dead, to get away from where they are? I would be surprised if you had not.

Next time this happens, try this…

Introduce the word ‘Passion’ into the conversation, or more likely into the monologue, with something like: “I appreciate what you are saying. I would also like to say that what I am passionate about here is…(fill in the gap)…and I am interested in hearing what others feel as well.”

Now watch what happens. Often there will be a complete shift in the energy in the room and in the level of engagement in the conversation. And notice how the ‘P’ word reappears in the conversation. It can be amazing. Why is this so?

It seems to me that we are naturally disposed to connect as human beings through our passions. Somehow we are attracted to the energy and authenticity that passions evokes. If we love sailing, we can talk about sailing for hours with others who have a passion for sailing even if we hardly know them. Parents of newborn babies can talk about their children in a similar way. And lifelong bonds can be easily be forged in these interactions.

Can you think of relationships in your life that have been formed in just this way? And if you are in an intimate partnership, what are then passions you share together?

So given that our passions connect us to others with whom we can share similar passions, how can we use the force of shared passions to make our lives better?

Here are some questions and ideas:

1. Have you taken the time to discover what you are passionate about now, that you can share with others?
2. Have you found groups of people who share your passions, for example you may join a sailing club or a hiking club, or a mothers group, take part in a writing workshop or do an online course on something you love.
3. Do you really know what your friends and colleagues are passionate about, even those you know well? I once worked alongside a man during a previous career as an investment banker. At work, he appeared totally risk averse and it was only after a couple of years that I discovered he was passionate about skydiving and practiced it most weekends. I was amazed and from that moment, I saw and treated him quite differently.
4. Do you bring people together who have similar passions? If not you may consider a theme such as travel, fine food, art, being in the wild, the theatre, sustainability, especially if these are passions of yours. And watch the magic happen…

By Peter Wallman