Meaning = Direction, Passion = Fuel

Continuing to think about meaning, passion, stories and community.

Highlighting a comment by Michael Lewkowitz on Closing tabs, opening minds:

Meaning is what get’s us up in the morning. Passion is what makes us jump out of bed.

Stories are very effective ways to express meaning and passionate stories are the ones that are most compelling. Stories are rich in feeling, emotion, nuance, and literal ambiguity, allowing people to interpret, relate, and even engage/change/adopt. They are a medium for spreading it.

I do think products/services are media as well… in fact every interaction ultimately is. The difference between meaning and passion comes out in the difference between dell and apple products.

Where I think business, or maybe better institution/organization fail in this area, is their stifling of passion in favour of control – in having ‘customer service’ operators following scripts to deliver consistent message vs being enabled with information and tools to improve the customer’s experience because the company is passionate about their experience, not manipulating lowest call-centre cost and maximum upsell. Meaning gets people show up for work. Passion infuses/infects them to make the company great.

A thought: does meaning = direction, passion = fuel?

Posted February 14th, 2010 in Perspective. Tags: @igniter, meaning, passion.

Hello, I'm Taylor Davidson.

I'm an early-stage VC and a photographer. If you liked this post, please subscribe to this blog. For more like this, check out the archives, and follow me on Twitter @tdavidson.

http://www.frogblog.biz Fred H Schlegel

Like this thought. Not just fuel, but sustainable fuel.
ericajoh

The days when I jump out of bed are the best ones. I'm aiming to make that ALMOST every day.
jetsetcitizen

Do we need some external focus to provide meaning and focus in our lives?

So many of us are in search of the perfect passion to make our lives rich and fulfilling but I think it turns out a lot like the Wizard of Oz. It was within us all along.

Seth Godin said it well,

I don't think there's a relationship between what you do and how important you think the work is. I think there's a relationship between who you are and how important you think the work is.
http://su.pr/2K23BS
http://www.taylordavidson.com/writing/ Taylor Davidson

I like the thought “sustainable fuel”…
http://www.taylordavidson.com/writing/ Taylor Davidson

Jumping out of bed is one thing, but keeping it going after you get out is another. That's what I'm trying to do every day.
http://www.taylordavidson.com/writing/ Taylor Davidson

Agreed; what we do does not equal who we are. But it takes a strong soul to buck popular convention.
jetsetcitizen

Hi Taylor.

Yes, what we do shouldn't equal who we are, but unfortunately that is the primary metric our society uses so it still matters.

However, that wasn't quite the point I was trying to make. We don't need a meaningful job to find meaning. We don't need a passionate job to find passion. There is meaning and passion in even the most mundane chores.

Gene Simmons of Kiss once said in an interview that you don't need some big lofty goal to be happy. (This is my recollection.) That paycheck every two weeks is enough. If you are a garbage collector and you are creating a good life for family and sending your kids to school then there is enough satisfaction in that. Put in your 40 hours and enjoy your time with family and your hobbies after work.

Eastern religions teach people to be in moment. That means being fully aware and conscious of everything we do from drinking tea to scrubbing floors. There is satisfaction and personal fulfillment in every task if we know how to look.

Waiting for some dream occupation to create meaning in our lives is likely to lead to a lot of disappointment.

It is difficult for companies to infuse passion in employees. I think it is more about hiring passionate people in the first place.
http://www.taylordavidson.com/writing/ Taylor Davidson

I understood your point, and agree with it. I just didn't elaborate on it.

But I will say: everyone has their own scales for happiness: some people do need big, lofty goals. To each their own. I have big goals, but my happiness isn't tied to those goals.

Everyone has their own need and route for meaning, passion, happiness, etc; the great thing about this world is that we can all do it our own ways.
http://www.taylordavidson.com/writing/ Taylor Davidson

I understood your point, and agree with it. I just didn’t elaborate on it.rnrnBut I will say: everyone has their own scales for happiness: some people do need big, lofty goals. To each their own. I have big goals, but my happiness isn’t tied to those goals.rnrnEveryone has their own need and route for meaning, passion, happiness, etc; the great thing about this world is that we can all do it our own ways.

Subscribe to the blog

Recent Posts