10 Things I’ve Learned About Passion from the World’s Most Passionate People
Insights About Passion
“Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you do with your life, be passionate.” — Jon Bon Jovi
I started On Fire as a passion project (fittingly) late last year after becoming obsessed with passion, an ingredient absent in so many of our lives today and yet clearly one of the most important forces in the universe when it is present.
Passion often starts with curiosity, and I had no shortage of questions about passion itself. What drives the people who put their whole hearts into something? What sets them apart? How does passion transform their lives? How do you find passion — or how does passion choose you? What if you can’t find a passion? Should you choose one or combine them? Why is it so under-researched as a phenomenon? What does the most interesting research say about it?
I’ve now profiled 21 super-passionate people (and interviewed many more than that) and I realized it was about time to put some of the lessons I’ve learned in one place.
But maybe the most important lesson I’ve learned is not a passion lesson, but a lesson about the world we live in and the stories we are told. The people who I’ve encountered through this project have not just helped me learn about passion. They have given me so much hope for the world at a time when social media can be depressing and turning on the news can feel bleak. Their stories reminded me that the universe is teeming with vibrancy, love, and exuberance — if only we take a moment to look.
Here are 10 things I’ve learned about passion:
A few on finding passion…
Curiosity Is the Gateway Drug to Passion.
The most common advice I received about finding a passion from everyone from Gary Greenberg (passion: microphotography) to B. Earl (passion: tarot) is to follow our threads of curiosity and keep learning. Trying to ‘find our passion’ can feel daunting and even off-putting because it suggests a singular, elusive goal. Instead, start with what interests you. An initial spark can lead to enduring passion.
Challenges Can Be Passion Gateway Drugs, Too.
Our greatest struggles often lead to the most profound discoveries about our passions. This was true for Debra Hopkins, whose efforts to free people from shame and stigma turned her struggles into a passionate pursuit, Dr. Sophie Liu, who found her calling in strengthening the canine-human connection, and for Erica Siegal, whose disappointment in her original chosen route of hospitality led her on a path to discover what really lit her up. When faced with challenges, rather than shying away, consider them closely — it’s often our greatest struggles that unearth our deepest passions.
Our Passions – or Clues to Them – Often Show Up First in Childhood.
I’ve noticed a recurring trend: the things we become the most passionate about as adults often appear in childhood. This was the case for Megan Vaughan Geisbrecht who fell in love with handstands as a child, then rediscovered them with the help of her therapist. John Bucher fell in love with myths and storytelling from watching movies as a kid. And Steve Sando always loved bringing people together around food, though he never guessed his future micro-passion would specifically be around beans. Even in my own life, constants like books, writing, and animals showed up when I was really young. And even when we lose them, looking back on what brought us joy when we were younger can often give us clues as to what might intrigue us now.
It’s Normal for Our Passions to Shift and Evolve Over Time.
While some people (such as pickleball icon Steve Paranto, wellness pioneer Dr. Edythe Heus), or jiu-jitsu pioneer Rodrigo Freitas discover their specific passions early and pursue them with unwavering focus, most of us navigate a more winding path. Often, it’s more common to have an overarching passion with evolving applications. Take Chris Guillebeau, for instance, whose initial drive for entrepreneurship led him from selling things on Ebay, to traveling to every country in the world, and eventually about blogging about mental health. Similarly, Bree Wardlow’s lifelong passion for sewing has varied from creating Rocky Horror Picture film costumes to constructing corsets and space suits. My own journey mirrors this: my passion for fitness, discovered in my early twenties, has transitioned from HIIT workouts to handstands and boxing, and now to jiu-jitsu. Such evolution of our passions is normal, reflecting our personal growth and the shifting stages of our lives.
Exploration is the Pathway to Passion. Seek Out New Experiences!
Often, our passions lie outside our immediate experience and require exploration. Suzy Malseed discovered freediving at a sports expo, and Jack Danger fell in love with pinball after his friends discovered it on a trip to Portland. I never would have found jiu-jitsu if I hadn’t given myself a sampling period to try all varieties of martial arts. These examples underscore the importance of exposure and openness to new experiences — without venturing out, we may never stumble upon the things that light us up most.
And a few on the nature of passion – and the difference it can make in our lives…
There Are Two Types of Passion. The Happiest People Engage in this Kind.
Research by Robert J. Vallerand shows two types of passions: harmonious passion, where people engage freely in activities they love, and obsessive passion, where activities become compulsive, often driven by external factors like social acceptance or self-esteem. Our culture often glorifies obsessive passion as the only path to excellence, but people like Chef Gason Nelson (passion: cooking), Suzy Malseed (passion: freediving), and Bree Wardlow (passion: sewing) thrive through a deep, harmonious love for their crafts.
Sometimes it Takes a While for Everything to Finally Click.
Though our early interests often lay the groundwork for our future passions, it typically takes a pivotal moment or experience for everything to fully “click.” Brielle showed this in her journey from performing to psychology to eventually, magic. It’s also my personal experience — I spent over a decade gathering interests and following my curiosities until I finally felt a click around passion itself. Our early explorations set the stage, but it often requires a defining moment or a deep realization to clearly see and wholeheartedly pursue a passion — turning our dormant interests into a distinct direction. The lesson: don’t get discouraged if you don’t know what your ‘thing’ is yet. Keep looking.
It’s Normal to Feel Burnt Out Sometimes. Just Make Sure You Recalibrate.
Intense passions and commitments, such as Erica Siegal’s or Debra Hopkins’s passion for supporting people through emotionally challenging experiences, can offer fulfillment but can also be emotionally and physically taxing. Recognizing the early signs of burnout, including fatigue, lethargy, diminished enthusiasm and is essential to sustaining your passion over the long term. If you do find yourself feeling burnt out, ask yourself: Do you just need more balance in your life (see: harmonious passion)? No matter how much you love your passion, make sure you take enough time away from it to engage in other activities and spend time with family and friends to ensure a balance. Alternatively, learn to monitor your energy and enthusiasm levels and cultivate the honesty to acknowledge when it’s time to recalibrate your approach and do something different. Making a shift doesn’t mean giving up on your passion; rather, it’s about adjusting your engagement to protect your well-being and sustain your ability to make a difference.
Passions Brings Us Together.
In a time when the Surgeon General of the United States has declared a loneliness epidemic, connecting through shared interests offers a powerful remedy. Time and time again, passionate people like David Easterbrook (passion: bonsai), Steve Paranto (passion: pickleball), and Rodrigo Freitas (passion: jiu-jitsu) shared that the greatest joy of their passions comes from the communities they’ve built and become part of. My personal experiences within my passions of jiu-jitsu, psychology, and circus arts echo this sentiment. Through each, I’ve met like-minded people and become part of an incredible community that has brought a lot of joy and meaning to my life.
Passion Begets Passion.
Passion in one area of our lives inevitably helps us feel more passionate in the rest of our lives. When we immerse ourselves in an activity that makes us feel on fire, that passion bleeds into the rest of our lives, too. Nurturing a passion can ignite a chain reaction — filling your entire life with a renewed sense of energy and possibility. This was true for every passionate person I’ve spoken to so far.
What has been most helpful and enjoyable to you about On Fire? What would you like to see more (or less) of? And most importantly, what have YOU learned?
In case you missed any (and for easy reference), here’s a list of all the On Fire profiles I’ve published so far with everyone’s corresponding passions.
John Bucher (“Eyes of Wonder” – Passion: Storytelling)
Megan Vaughan Giesbrecht (“Lost and Found, Upside Down” – Passion: Handstands)
Michael Gervais (“The Invisible World of Being Human” - Passion: Peak Human Performance)
B. Earl (“Drinking from the Six of Cups” - Passion: Tarot)
Dr. Edythe Heus (“Fascinated by Fascia” - Passion: Muscles, Movement, and How Our Bodies Fit Together)
Chef Gason Nelson (“The Flavor of Flow” - Passion: Cooking)
Jack Danger (“Tilted Dreams” - Passion: Pinball)
Suzy Malseed (“Diving for the Feeling” - Passion: Freediving)
Chris Guillebeau (“The Passion of the Non-Conformist” - Wisdom on Living Fully)
Steve Paranto (“If You Build it, They Will Dink” - Passion: Pickleball)
Erica Siegal (“Welcome to the Healing Tent” - Passion: Mental Health and Hospitality)
David Easterbrook (“No End to Bonsai” - Passion: Bonsai)
Bree Wardlow (“Threading a Life She Loves” - Passion: Sewing)
Rodrigo Freitas (“Rolling Through Life” - Passion: Jiu-Jitsu)
Gay Hendricks (“Into the Gateway of Wonder” - Passion: Consciousness)
Mikel Delgado (“Following Whiskers to Fulfillment” - Passion: The Cat-Human Connection)
Debra Hopkins (“Breaking the Chains” - Passion: Freeing People from Shame and Stigma)
Dr. Gary Greenberg (“Look Closer” - Passion: Microphotography)
Dr. Sophie Liu (“A Dog’s Best Friend” - Passion: The Canine-Human Connection)
Steve Sando (“Bean Freak” - Passion: Beans)
Brielle (“A Fool for Magic” - Passion: Magic)
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