by Molly Gordon

Passion is a popular word among seekers these days.

It seems that everyone wants to tap into their passion, create work they feel passionate about, or express their passion.

But where does passion really fit in the journey to a business that fits just-right?

If you're assuming that just-right and a business you're passionate about are the same thing, think again.

There are several ways that passion can derail your business, not to mention obstruct your personal growth.

Passion is defined as a strong and barely controllable emotion. It has its roots in the relationship between suffering and creating meaning.

(The root is pati, Latin for "suffer." The Passion is a central teaching in Christian theology.)

While I'm not against suffering per se (it may be optional, but that doesn't mean that if you suffer you are some kind of spiritual nitwit), Do you really want to grow a business out of a commitment to suffering?

Wanting to feel passionate about our businesses can derail us by requiring our work to provide most of our emotional and spiritual nourishment.

This places a huge burden on even a mature and healthy business.

It can strangle a new business before it can take root.

Growing a business is a lot like starting a family.

Parenthood can bring enormous emotional and spiritual gratification, but it's of the character-building kind.

The work of being a parent is never done, and the primary flow of nourishment is from parent to child, not vice versa.

If you require your children to meet your deepest emotional and spiritual needs, you and they will suffer greatly.

The nourishment we can expect of our businesses is also of the character-building kind.

We can expect our businesses to push our buttons so that we can see what work there is to be done on the inside.

We can expect our businesses to be the means through which we serve others in return for financial compensation.

We can require our businesses to operate in alignment with our ethics.

But if we expect our businesses to make us feel good, or to feed and be fueled by passion, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment.

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This article originally appeared in the Authentic Promotion e-zine and is reprinted with permission from the author. Molly Gordon is president of Shaboom Inc., a coaching and training company that delivers hope, help, and hilarity to Accidental Entrepreneurs so that they can build a business that fits just-right.

For more information, visit http://www.shaboominc.com. Copyright 2007, Shaboom Inc. All rights reserved.

More articles by Molly Gordon.

 

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