Do you have a passion?

[omni550]

Mention of wishing to have a passion* (in the other thread about what you'd do differently), made me wonder how many of us here have a passion. When or how did you discover it? Did you pursue it for work? For pleasure? Do you have more than one -- concurrently or consecutively? Did you used to have one and now it's gone? What happened? Is/was it harmonious or obsessive?

(*Passion is defined as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that people like (or even love), find important, and in which they invest time and energy on a regular basis. The model proposes the existence of two types of passion: harmonious and obsessive. from https://psywb.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2211-1522-2-1 )

I can't say that I have a passion. I tend to be a dilettante about many interests. I think it might be nice to have a harmonious passion.

omni

 

[hesperus]

Yes, one is for historic architecture, which I practiced during my career, and the other is powder skiing. Which of course is evident by my avatar
Yes, that's actually me about 15 years ago.

 

[Ronstar]

Woodworking is probably my only passion. I discovered it when I was about 10 years old, building things with my Grandfather. Just for pleasure - not for work.

After I went to part time work (and eventual retirement) about 7 years ago, I started spending more and more time in my workshop. I'd say that it is now obsessive.

My only problem is that I do not have a snowbird workshop.

 

[simple girl]

Yes, I have 3 passions: gardening, cooking, and dancing.

I grow food, cook and eat it, and then dance it off! (well, mostly...)

 

[Dash man]

My passion is my faith. I’ll stop there since I don’t want Porky to close the thread.

 

[sengsational]

Although I have a few things that I can immerse myself in for several hours and not think about anything else, I'm not sure that any would rise to the level of a "passion". If someone came along and said (or something happened where I couldn't do one of them), I'm not sure I'd be that heavily impacted.

 

[brewer12345]

Being outdoors. That is what underpins most of my hobbies except cooking. Beekeeping, hunting, brewing, gardening, keeping quail, hiking, camping, fishing, etc. All those years in cubes in cites were pretty painful.

 

[Car-Guy]

I've always been interested in (1) cars (2) gambling and (3) women. Before retirement the order was different.

 

[Brdofpray]

Road Cycling is my passion! I schedule one weeklong tour each year. This provides me with motivation throughout the year to get out and ride. If I don’t, I will be one hurting cowboy during my tour. I may not be the fastest, but cycling mentally makes me feel good about myself, keeps me in shape, and makes me feel alive!

 

[harley]

Put another mark in the dilettante column. I've got dozens of things I enjoy - hiking, kayaking, swimming, camping, FI, woodworking, music (playing and listening), gardening, handymanning(?), driving, and many more. But nothing I'm passionate about. Take music, I like to play instruments and can play 5 or 6 sort of. But each time I start to get decent on one I go "look, a flute!" and head off after another one. Probably my favorite activity of all is reading, but even that I couldn't say I'm passionate about. And as far as I know, I'm not ADHD or anything (a little OCD, maybe). Just not built for passion.

 

[Danmar]

Physical fitness and all things financial. I don’t think either is obsessive.

 

[Bamaman]

European travel
Boating
Camping in RVs.
Building--I never stop building on my bouses.

 

[DrRoy]

Travel and photography, almost always consecutively.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I've always loved dogs. Since I've retired I've become immersed in training, of both my dog and of other people's. My local dog club offers basic "manners" dog training to the general public, and I've been instructing in those classes for a couple years now.

Here's a photo of my dog Alfie on his way to winning his second agility title.View attachment 27073

 

[CaliKid]

I don't really have any passions. I am addicted to working out and do so every day. I would gladly go to the gym and/or walk/run/cycle 2+ hours a day if I could. I am not sure it's a passion though!?

I am very interested in our personal finances but it's almost more of a part-time job. Again, not a passion.

I enjoy traveling and planning for travel. A passion though I am not sure.

I also like cars and enjoy shopping/researching them but not a passion I don't think.

 

[FIREd]

I write a lot, by hand, every single day - letters, journals, greetings cards, etc... That's what I am known for. I have other hobbies that I pursue on and off but not with such discipline and dedication.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Financial planning - our own.
Daytripping - the museum and winery kind of trips, not the Beatles' version.

 

[Major Tom]

I don't really do passion, I'm afraid. In fact, I've even wondered if I should seek some kind of counselling for it, because I don't experience great highs or great lows. I seem to experience nearly all of my life within a very narrow band of emotions that can best be described as a fairly constant state of contentment, with occasional bouts of slight grumpiness.

There are things I'm interested in that I like doing, but none of them rises to the level of passion. Perhaps it's because I'm English. Unbridled passion seems a bit, well, foolhardy (All of which begs the question - is there such a thing as bridled passion, or is that a contradiction in terms?)

I do love my cats though.

 

[FIREd]

I don't really do passion, I'm afraid. In fact, I've even wondered if I should seek some kind of counselling for it, because I don't experience great highs or great lows. I seem to experience nearly all of my life within a very narrow band of emotions that can best be described as a fairly constant state of contentment, with occasional bouts of slight grumpiness.

There are things I'm interested in that I like doing, but none of them rises to the level of passion.[...]

I do love my cats though.

That describes me pretty well. I find words like "passion" or "passionate" to be entirely too exuberant (and overused).

 

[Major Tom]

That describes me pretty well. I find words like "passion" or "passionate" to be entirely too exuberant (and overused).

Thanks for that. I don't feel quite so much of an outlier, or oddity, now. I think it all started with the self-help books and articles a number of years ago that encouraged readers to "find their passion". This sort of thinking has spread into the mainstream, so that the word "passion" has become something of a buzzword. We're all supposed to be living our lives with passion, or the suggestion is that we are wasting our time on earth.

I definitely don't want to sound like a cynic or a killjoy, because I'm not. I have a sense of wonder about the world. There are things that interest me, and activities that I become quite engrossed in. Like you though, I think that "passion" is often overstating the case a bit. The problem I have with all this hyperbole in the way we express ourselves is that it sets unrealistic expectations (if I am not feeling great passions, have I failed?) It also robs people of the right to experience a wide range of different subtle levels of engagement (if I'm not experiencing maximum passion, it's not legitimate).

It seems to be an American thing. Everything has to be experienced "to the max". It's all about being #1, winning, going all the way, etc. There are no grey areas, and there's no subtlety.

My gosh, now I sound like a grumpy old goat!

 

[Danmar]

Thanks for that. I don't feel quite so much of an outlier, or oddity, now. I think it all started with the self-help books and articles a number of years ago that encouraged readers to "find their passion". This sort of thinking has spread into the mainstream, so that the word "passion" has become something of a buzzword. We're all supposed to be living our lives with passion, or the suggestion is that we are wasting our time on earth.


It seems to be an American thing. Everything has to be experienced "to the max". It's all about being #1, winning, going all the way, etc. There are no grey areas, and there's no subtlety.

Astute observations. Never really thought much about this but I think you are on to something. Everything seems to be in excess. I was watching some football on the weekend. It’s starting to grate on me a bit. It’s just too much. Over the top. It’s only a game , entertainment. But the commentators and the players act like someone just cured cancer. Just one example. There are many.

 

[ohyouknow]

Thanks for that. I don't feel quite so much of an outlier, or oddity, now. I think it all started with the self-help books and articles a number of years ago that encouraged readers to "find their passion". This sort of thinking has spread into the mainstream, so that the word "passion" has become something of a buzzword. We're all supposed to be living our lives with passion, or the suggestion is that we are wasting our time on earth.

I definitely don't want to sound like a cynic or a killjoy, because I'm not. I have a sense of wonder about the world. There are things that interest me, and activities that I become quite engrossed in. Like you though, I think that "passion" is often overstating the case a bit. The problem I have with all this hyperbole in the way we express ourselves is that it sets unrealistic expectations (if I am not feeling great passions, have I failed?) It also robs people of the right to experience a wide range of different subtle levels of engagement (if I'm not experiencing maximum passion, it's not legitimate).

It seems to be an American thing. Everything has to be experienced "to the max". It's all about being #1, winning, going all the way, etc. There are no grey areas, and there's no subtlety.

My gosh, now I sound like a grumpy old goat!

I'm American, but you perfectly described how I experience life. A fairly constant contentment. No super highs, no depressing lows. Just drifting along evenly. I've also considered therapy because I thought I am maybe missing something? I told some friends in real life this once and they were appalled that I don't have highs and lows.

 

[Amethyst]

My passions are listed in my "About Me" section. I am really at my happiest outdoors in nature (if the weather is nice).

 

[Major Tom]

I'm American, but you perfectly described how I experience life. A fairly constant contentment. No super highs, no depressing lows. Just drifting along evenly. I've also considered therapy because I thought I am maybe missing something? I told some friends in real life this once and they were appalled that I don't have highs and lows.

I know what you mean. I think I process emotions differently from many others and although I don't think it's really a problem, it's different enough from the way a lot of others around me experience their world, that I've thought I'd like some help in "owning" it. I know who I am and how to be myself but often, when others are involved, it all gets a bit squirelly

 

[robnplunder]

Game of Go (aka Baduk, Wei-qui), Golf, Vegetable gardening, Documentary - science, history