Passion & Balance – Mutually Exclusive?

In perusing Twitter tonight, I came across this quote from The Relationship Guy (Twitter name @lifecoachtips):

“When you live from your passion you feel balanced.”

This rings true for me. But I will be quick to say that there have been many voices – internal and external that have taught and told me just the opposite. Many of us carry around this general sort-of distrust of passion – our own, that of others’, and passionate people in general. We see it (and them) as unbalanced. Isn’t that strange – and sad?

Why do we distrust passion? There are a million reasons, but some come from our interpretation of verses like these in Proverbs:

“Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.  Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.  Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” – Proverbs 4:23-27

Or how about this quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC):

“He only employs his passion who can make no use of his reason.”

Or Benjamin Franklin:

“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.”

Now you may read these verses and quotes and have a much different perspective. I hope so. But what I’m aware of is that for most of us, deep down inside, even if we accede to the beauty and power of passion, we are still afraid of it. We are afraid that if we let our passions rule us, we will get hurt. We are afraid that if we let passion be our guide, that we will make unreasonable and irresponsible decisions. We are afraid that if we give in to our passions we will not be balanced, but totally undone.

We have bought into the idea (and lie) that balance comes from reason, sensibility, and objective, logical thought. But what kind of balance is that? It’s stable, yes, but potentially deadening.

Here’s what I’m aware of: at this stage of my life, I care less and less about balance – at least balance that’s defined by logic or reason. I am more and more compelled by my passion; more and more aware that if I don’t live from my passions, I’m probably not living…And if that’s true, a sense of balance really doesn’t matter all that much.

Back to where I started: “When you live from your passion you feel balanced.”

Anymore, I’d have to agree – wholeheartedly – even passionately! I’m feeling more balanced already.

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Tagged as: balance, Benjamin Franklin, lifecoaching, passion, passionate, Proverbs, tweet, Twitter