“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion.
For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.”

For anyone that knows Tony Robbins’ work, (you’ve been to one of his seminars or have picked up one of his books or audio programs) you will know that one of his big mottos is, “live with passion!” But what does that really mean? How do we live passion filled lives? How do we inject it into our everyday thinking and behaviors?

For the last thirty years, the field of positive psychology has emerged and has a lot to offer about passion, happiness, and fulfillment. Martin Seligman, the father and pioneer of positive psychology, believed that the most satisfied, upbeat people were those who had discovered and exploited their unique combination of “signature strengths,” such as humanity, temperance, and persistence.

Seligman viewed happiness, and the pursuit of our passions, in three categories: a) the Pleasant Life – learning to savor and appreciate basic pleasures such as companionship; b) the Good Life – achieved through discovering our unique virtues and strengths, and employing them with passion and energy to enhance our lives; and c) the Meaningful Life – finding a deep sense of fulfillment by using our unique strengths for a purpose greater than ourselves. All three of these areas can be applied to our work lives and can be enhanced by injecting energy and passion into what we believe we are called to do.

So, how can you bring more passion to your leadership? Follow these three simple steps:

1. Follow Your Pleasures and Gratifications: Identify what truly gets you energized and excited. Is it leading others? Does it involve getting hands-on with your colleagues in the work? Do you enjoy managing processes and procedures? Do you enjoy managing people? Find the things that make you happy and pursue them.
2. Identify and Leverage Your Strengths and Virtues: We all are extremely good at one thing. Maybe two or three things if the select few of us are lucky. What do you do exceptionally well? Is it speaking? Teaching? Inspiring others? Building relationships? Solving problems? Find out your strengths and leverage them. Too many leadership consultants tell clients to identify their areas of opportunities and try to mitigate them. This is wrong! Spend 80-90% of your time focused on your strengths and virtues.
3. Find Your True Meaning and Purpose: Our passions lead to our purpose. What is the impact you want to have on this world? Who do you want to touch? Who do you want to leave a lasting legacy with? Find out what your true calling is, and let nothing get in your way of accomplishing it. It may take you time to get there, but never, ever, give up on your dreams.

Lastly, for those of you that are fellow followers of Christ, we know that the passion had to do with tremendous sacrifice. Remember, any thing that is worth giving your all, that is worth giving your life, is worth giving all your passion. It is the sacrifice you make to see your dreams come to pass.