Boundaries of Passion!!!

    I did mention passion last week when talking about love because many people seem to think they are one and the same, but that is a definite misconception. There definitely can be passion when we love someone or something, but we can also experience love without the passion. Passion tends to be more demanding and forceful than love.  So does that mean passion is all bad? Nope, just like all human emotions passion has a good place in our lives IF we keep it within proper boundaries. Let's first look at passion when within proper boundaries.

     When a person has a passion for something they will put a lot of effort into fulfilling that passion. For example if you have a passion to help people you may choose to become a doctor or a teacher! That passion can drive you to learn all you need to learn and keep learning to be the best doctor or teacher (just 2 examples) you can become. Passion in this sense is used to push you to become the best at something  important in your life. And we have all seen a difference, I am sure, with people who are passionate in their chosen field and those who just do it to get it done! Anyone who knows me knows I grew up with a passion for horses. I read, studied, and learned all I could about horses! So when passion is used to drive you to be better at what you love then you keep it within boundaries that helps not only you, but can help so many others as well.

     So can you see how passion  could step outside those boundaries and cause problems? Let's use another passion of mine to show this. Perhaps two that can go hand in hand! I have a great passion for books and chocolate. So if I do not keep those two passions within boundaries imagine what I could turn into. I could be double or triple my size, develop various sicknesses caused by being overweight and eating too much sugar AND I would never get my obligations done even in my home because I would be reading all day. NOW, reading and chocolate per se are not bad for me. In fact, in many ways they are healthy, BUT having no boundaries with them can cause me all kinds of problems. And if we think about it, when one person has problems they have an affect on others that know and love that person. Think about it in your own life: how many people are affected  by you and your actions? 

     We could go into more examples and details, but I think you are all smart enough to see that passion like all of our emotions, definitely needs to be kept within healthy boundaries. And this is passion for any and every thing we find in our lives!!