Passion vs Self-Discipline

I admit.

I made decisions based on passion 2 years ago, and it led me to a whole lot of suffering. I based my decisions on what feels right, what feels good, and what feels just. Not what IS right, what IS good, and what IS just.

This resulted in a lot of negative side-effects in my career, relationships, and most importantly my relationship with my own self.

Passion. Passion is an emotionally-driven word. Passion is vaguely described as feeling strongly about someone or something. Some say passion is key to success. To which I say, to each his own. To me, anything that is emotionally-driven is fundamentally flawed when it comes to attaining durable self-success. And my point being that if something is indeed heavily emotionally-driven, that at some point; emotions WILL run wild. Emotions fluctuate from time to time, that's why relationships is like a warm fire, that when not stoked from time to time will eventually die out.

So can someone pursue a so-called 'calling in life' and lay its fruition onto this very word, Passion? I doubt so. In my humble opinion, I believe high achievers have mistaken self-discipline for passion. And in doing so, have spread a false gospel unknowingly.

Self-discipline encompasses every single act in a person's life. Think about it, observe it in action. A mere act of brushing your teeth upon rising is no passionate act, it is a habit forged through an early act of self-discipline guided by our guardians. Understand that by the end of brushing and grooming oneself, you feel good; hence you feel passionate towards yourself as a confident and able individual. Results eventually lead you by the heart and passion sets in. You become passionate in keeping yourself highly.

Observe also how a high achiever goes about crafting new products and services, time and time again the product speaks for itself the self-discipline put into the attention to intricate details during the process of creation. Anyone can readily say that it is passion driving such acts, but such 'passion' was created through a conscious and purposeful act of self-discipline. The self-discipline to say to oneself during the act of crafting, that it is never good enough; and that just 3 hours more after thinking it is done will always suffice.

What will passion be without self-discipline? Fluctuating states, inconsistencies, and ultimately a very frustrated person who wonders why he/she cannot see the results they want in the long-term. It all boils down to self-discipline.

The self-discipline to say no to one's vices. the self-discipline to say yes to working out when one is tired out of their human mind. And the self-discipline to say I can wait when temptations comes in all its guises to lure one off from their intended path.

It's all self-discipline loosely described as passion.

I have learned of this through personal experience, and enough in these crazy months to say that self-discipline will beat passion to its knees and then reforms it into one that eventually becomes a companion in ALL that we do. And how it is finally described as 'A passion for living." Not as "I'm very passionate about food." only.

To life. Carpe Diem.