My weekly email of encouragement to my team at Youth Villages...
Passion vs. Compassion
Just a thought- we can get so wrapped up in chasing after what we want the most that we, well, step on other people... I dunno, maybe? I think it happens.
I've always been fascinated by the similarity of the two words in my title, since they are the same except for three letters.
They seem totally unrelated, though, at least in our modern ways of looking at them. But by definition, they are very similar. The tiny difference, however,
should make all the difference.
Passion- to suffer.
Compassion- to suffer together.
That's it, that one word- together. Makes all the difference.
Now, passion today typically describes something that one wants so badly that it is ached for- time, money, effort, nothing means more than obtaining that
object or state-of-being that is one's "passion."
Compassion typically means identifying with someone's sufferings and aching to relieve that suffering, with total abandon for all else, until the need is met.
How are we to apply all of this? Simply, there has to be a balance between the level of passion and compassion in each of our lives.
Too much passion- ambition at the expense of relationships.
Too much compassion- relationship at the expense of motivation to achieve.
I think one of the greatest gifts we can offer anyone is the example of our passion to do great things, things that will live on long after any of us are gone.
That means we have to take time for ourselves and cultivate passion.
But it also takes time and effort to relate to those we work with and live with, to help them cultivate a passion in their hearts for something more than themselves.
To give them a leg up or a helping hand, and then watch them take off on their own, knowing that they will do the same for someone else down the road.
Happy trails,
Glen
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