How to Understand the Difference between Passion and Interest
We have heard the terms passion and purpose at one point or another; how many of us know the difference between them. I used to get the two terms mixed up until I was entirely able to understand the difference.
While on this journey to finding your life purpose, you are sure to hear the terms quite often. Since you will often hear them, I think it is important for us to understand the difference between them.
Keep reading this blog to find out the differences between passion and purpose.
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Passion is Emotional; Purpose is the Reason Why
Your passion is based solely on your emotions. Think about it the things we are most passionate about are our passions because we like them, and they make us feel good.
Passion is the thing that gets you going on your path but doesn’t keep you going.
Think about it this way. My passion is helping people. I help people because I like how I feel when I can make a difference by helping someone else.
Purpose is the reason why you do whatever it is that you do.
So, I like helping people, but what is the purpose behind helping people. I help people because when I help people, I give them another chance to live life on their terms, which makes me feel good.
Purpose is your foundation, and passion is the walls because it holds the foundation together.
Passion is Selfish
Most of the time, when we pursue a passion, it is because we will gain some benefit from it. This doesn’t mean that all passion will be selfish, but we will most of the time benefit from it.
In the previous example of helping people, I said I support because it makes me feel good. This reasoning is selfish and has nothing to do with anyone else but me.
There are such instances where passion is not selfish but let us be honest; most humans are selfish in nature.
Your purpose is often associated with other people and what you can do for them.
Sometimes when we are operating from purpose, we must remove our feelings and emotions because they cannot coexist when serving others.
Purpose has a Focus
Purpose is focused on one thing where passion can be all over the place.
Purpose is focused, whereas passion can be all over the place.
The reason for this goes back to purpose relating to our WHY. Our WHYs rarely change, if at all, but our passions can change with our emotions.
We all know that our purpose is specific and is the one thing we know will fulfill us and give us a sense of being complete.
Purposes are long term in the aspect that we stick with them until they are fulfilled. How long it takes to fulfill them depends on the purpose and the person.
I’ve been passionate about many things during my life, but one thing has always remained the same my purpose. As a child, I knew I would say I wanted to a Doctor, but of course, things changed. The one thing that never changed was the purpose, which was helping people.
The way I decided to fulfill this purpose just changed.
Passion is the WHAT Purpose is the WHY
One thing about this journey is the things you are passionate about may change depending on the season, experiences, and possibly a change in your mood.
Often, we are passionate about many things because these things make us feel a certain way.
Our purpose will remain with us because it is meaningful to you and your life. The chances of having multiple purposes in life are rare because we stick with a purpose until you fulfill it.
In life, we will have both passion and purpose. One is no better than the other, but they do not interchange.
Passion and purpose have a place in our lives, and we need to distinguish between the two.
When you can determine how the two fit into your life, living becomes that much better.