Passion

Passion comes in many forms. People have passions for a particular instrument, sport, music, club, activity etc. But really what is passion? We often associate passion with ability but is that really correct? I’ve always assumed that people who are good at something have a passion for that particular activity they excel in. However when I look back on my 7 years I spent learning the piano this statement seems to prove itself wrong. When I was in kindergarten I started piano and after a few years my piano teacher referred me to a very prestigious teacher who taught many young protégées. I took lessons from her and excelled in piano. At such a young age I was able to let pages of memorized music flow from my fingertips. Although I possessed talent in this area I was never truly happy. Many would assume that this was my passion but really I hated it. I hated being forced to practice for more than an hour a day and I hated all the pressure I got from my teacher. Eventually I was so fed up with it that I quit. It seems quite sad how all those years of lessons went to waste because all I can play are excerpts from certain pieces my fingers can automatically play. This just goes to prove that passion is not always directly associated with ability. There are many people in this world who have a passion for something they are not very good at.

So how do we define passion? When I really think about it I think it has more to do with the desire to know more about something. When people are passionate about something they love that something whatever it may be. If one has a passion for something they often posses a great interest in it and it is something they enjoy doing. If you were to ask me what my passion is I would say flute and tennis, but do I really enjoy doing these activities all the time? Of course not! I often find myself thinking and asking myself why I claim tennis and flute to be my passion when it is obvious that I don’t love it all the time. I often get frustrated with myself when I cannot play a difficult piece well or when I am down in a tennis match. When I hit those low points I can honestly say that I do not particularly enjoying my “passion” at that time.

Maybe ones passion is not something you always enjoy doing but rather something you are willing to stick with, even when things are not working out the way you planned. When I am down in tennis I do not chuck my racket across the court but instead I just keep trying without giving up. The same goes for flute. When I am having a difficult time playing a technical run I practice it from slow to fast and refuse to give up. This is why I am coming to believe that passion is the desire or interest in a particular area. If you are passionate about something you don’t have to be exceptionally good in it and in fact you don’t always have love it. I believe that passion is more associated with the perseverance and ability to never give up, even when things are not working out as planned.

People often identify themselves with their passion. Because people’s passion becomes such an important part of ones life, it seems to eventually be apart of what defines them as an individual. I have played tennis and flute for quite sometime and I feel like I can identify myself with these activities. I believed that they have grown to be a part of what I am and without my passion for the flute and tennis I would not be who I am today.