This is for Pat who said, “I’m hoping being here will help to uncover or resurface a passion for this.”
Well, Pat I’ve wrestled with this one for a few days now. Finally, I knew what I needed: poetry!
I’ve learned that when I’m stuck in my feelings. Or, caught in a war between my thoughts and feelings. Or, beaten into submission by my Inner Critic. The way out lies in just relaxing and letting the words emerge. So, here’s the poem I wrote as I thought about rediscovering passion.
FLOATING ON THE CLOUDS
Floating
on the clouds
of pain
I drift
against
the current
taking me
nowhere.
But,
what if
I tried
to swim
again?
Or,
instead
dove into
the murky
brine?
Or,
unfurled
the canvas
of my
being?
Or,
stroked
a fortunate
paddle?
Or,
I might
just drift
and find
the answer
seeking me.
Swim, dive,
sail, stroke,
drift:
the choice is mine.
So, what’s the secret to rediscovering passion?
First, let’s look at the process I used. I stopped struggling, stopped fighting, and surrendered. I let the feelings emerge. So, what?
At the risk of stating the obvious: passion is a feeling. An intense feeling. It burns! It’s white hot! It’s fever! It simmers!
It yearns to be expressed. And, it demands that it be expressed in the way it wants!
So, to rediscover your passion. Relax. Wait. Listen. See what comes up and how.
Now, what about the content of the poem?
What does this poem say to you? Perhaps, something like what it says to me. Here’s how I read the poem but it might not be exactly the same thing you see. And, that’s okay.
About the pain. Keeping my passion bottled up literally creates physical pain (I suffer from Fibromyalgia). When I lay down or lay back in my chair and relax I feel like I’m floating on a sea of pain, and emotions, and images — yearning to be articulated. What about you?
I can drift, float, go with the flow/non-flow. Or, I/you can act.
Swim? What’s that conjure up? For me: the freedom of movement. The sensous feel of water on my body. What’s it got to do with rediscovering passion? Get into your life. Immerse yourself. Dog paddle. Crawl. Swim backwards. Who cares, just move!
Dive? Go even deeper. Explore your unconcisous. Journal. Write. Paint. Scribble. Draw. Dance. Sing.
Sail? Stick yourself out into the world. Catch a breeze. See where it takes you.
Stroke? Grab something, it doesn’t matter what, and give yourself a push. Even in circles you’re going somewhere.
Drift? Your answer might just find you.
Finally, THE KEY: Choose. It’s about deciding and acting.
So, choose your passion — or, it will choose you!
RESOURCES:
Learn strategies for LIVING ON PURPOSE, subscribe to my monthly newsletter Turning Points — “Creative Careers Unleashed! Send an e-mail to on-233@ezezine.com
Yesterday, my weekly trip to the library serendipitously lead me to a terrific book on expressing emotion — “Living with Feelng: The Art of Emotional Expression” by Lucia Capacchione. It was published by Jeremy P. Tarcher in 2001, so should still be available for purchase.
