Last week I asked you: How can you plant some seed, however small, for a dream life that you’re excited to wake up to every day?
This week, as we continue into Aries season with Neptune and Saturn also in Aries right now, I’m here to say that your dream needs your passion and commitment to grow and thrive.
Let’s start with the passion part. You might think that’s the easy or frivolous part, but so many people lack everyday passion and are settling for a life that barely feels meh.
The kind of passion I’m referring to is not superficial and momentary lust or empty adrenaline highs. Since we are in Aries season, though, there’s no surprise if that’s what you’re feeling around this time.
The passion I’m talking about is an abiding sense of joy and inspiration. It’s a calling or a deep purpose. It’s part of what I call love, as in being in love with life itself and with your life specifically.
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There are many ways to gauge your level of passion for your life. My biggest tell is how excited I am to get out of bed in the morning. I first noticed this correlation after I changed my undergraduate major from architecture to English. I was so excited about going to my English classes and doing the homework that I’d wake up at 5:00am with no alarm clock. Now my excitement for getting out of bed in the morning is strongest on days when I get to dedicate most of my time to writing something I enjoy.
There’s a philosophy, particularly in the dating arena, that says passion is overrated. When it comes to dating, people often say they prefer reliability and commitment over passion. I’m not trying to change their minds, and this post isn’t even about dating and relationships specifically.
Here’s what I’d like us to consider, though: Does it have to be either/or?
I read somewhere years ago that the greatest indicator of happiness in a relationship between two people was the level of happiness that each individual had on their own. The happiest couples consisted of the happiest individuals.
When you’re not waiting for an external relationship to infuse your life with a sense passion, and instead use your own agency to create it within yourself, then you’re more likely to choose relationships of all types that organically do mirror and amplify your sense of passion back to you.
Passion—the abiding joy, inspiration, and deep purpose that I’m speaking of—is a great indicator of what’s worth committing to in the first place. It’s precisely because commitment demands so much from us that I encourage you to raise the standard for what you commit to.
Whether it’s a career, a relationship, a house, a health habit, or a hairstyle… you don’t have to settle for meh.
You are free to ask for, to pursue, or to create something you love.
Sincerely,
