A few years ago, I heard a presentation by Dr. Peter Koestenbaum, and I still subscribe to his newsletter. Dr. K applies philosophy in business, and in fact, his company is www.pib.net.
He posted recently that “Greatness means to add passion to what you do. But it is to be genuine, heartfelt, an outgrowth of an exuberant personality, a soul suffused with joie de vivre."
Dr. K clusters people in four roles: seer, merchant, healer and warrior. I’ve always been lucky to be in roles I feel passionate about. On only a couple of occasions did I take assignments where I didn’t feel that, and it was a major mistake.
People don’t often see me as passionate, but I try to low-key it. You see, many people interpret passion as “too intense” or “less than reasonable.” But inside, while far from greatness in any measure, I really only focus on things I feel passionate about.
That passion can be blinding. Often I don’t listen enough. I can be guilty of not looking at individuality. Passion can also be misinterpreted as “frustration” during problem-solving.
But given a choice, I feel blessed to be passionate. Maybe one day, I’ll let it show through, other than in glimpses as exuberance.
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