Educating Towards Passion
Contributor

It is that intense emotion that drives our lives, the joy felt in our actions; that one thing we would even do for free because it fills our senses and makes us feel an indomitable enthusiasm. That is passion. Unfortunately, as we grow older, passion seems to extinguish among all the roles we play; social expectations, family, friend’s pressures, and the “what is right” bylaws written in stone. This is the way we model education at home and within our schools and higher education institutions. As a result, every day we encounter a group of often disappointed people with lives that reflect dissatisfaction in every aspect of their personal and professional settings. How could they regain that fervor for life? How could passion be integrated in our education settings? How could we inspire people to live in a state of inspiration and looking forward to enriching life experiences?

Let’s first highlight the importance of living from our passion. A passionate life leads to stable mental, physical, and spiritual health where actions and thoughts are balanced because we know what drives us and the roadmap we must follow to reach our desired outcomes. Passionate people question themselves. Is this really important to me? Is this what truly makes me happy? Their answers to these questions will guide their decisions; delineate their actions, and make them strong to face the risks they are willing to take in search for their dreams.

As parents, counselors, and educators in this for many too complicated 21st. Century, it is crucial to guide our younger generations in search for their passion; how to find it and live from it. One way to begin this process is by simply activating their thinking with some vital questions, the basics: Who? What? Where? How?

1. Who do you want to become?
2. What is it that makes you happy?
3. Where do you want to be in the near future?
4. How can you make that happen?
5. What are you willing to do to follow your passion and be content?

Following our passion also involves some risk. We must teach our younger generation to become risk takers and to challenge themselves by thinking big. It could be as simple as going back to those good old days when we were taught and taught how to think critically and from our hearts instead of the commonly used trend of teaching rote memorization.


When we are passionate about what we do, we search for many ways, for everything that is available to make us better. Educating towards passion result in the creation of lifelong passionate learners and this could be our best legacy for those beginning to experience the excitement and wonders of life as well as for the generations to come.

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Comments
  • Norma Casas-Velilla

    Different perspectives of entanglements;-) I see it totally different. Live your life, follow your passion, do good, don't judge nor harm others. There are still a world of "risking" possibilities out there. Glad we've had this exchange.

  • Norma Casas-Velilla

    Cathy:

    I think our main responsibility to others is to accept them the way they are to be able to make a real connection, to do good, and to try to help without getting ourselves stranded in the process. Everyone has an opinion and different views and those must be respected even if we don't share. Like the old saying: Do as you want as long as you harm none.

  • Norma Casas-Velilla

    Hello Cathy and thanks for your feedback. Any risk taken when following our true desires is worthy. I have taken many through my life. I have been called many names but in the end, I've seen amazing results. Just think what this world would be if people would stop following their dreams. Life is worthy as it is but mostly when we learn how to spot our passion. I am sure those who risk everything, even their lives, in search of it, feel totally satisfied. We all live in different ways but I think it is good to ask some questions by the end of each day. How well have I used my time and talents today? Have I made the the world a better place today by following my passion? The answer to those will make any risk worth taken;-) Have a great day!

  • Norma Casas-Velilla

    Thanks Meryl. As a woman, I've had to learn these lessons sometimes the hard way. As an educator, I have witnessed too many dissapointed faces over the years. That's why I have made my mission to instill that in my students to help them achieve their greatest potential.

    Norma

  • Meryl Jaffe

    Great post.  I agree. For me risk taking is the biggest and hardest thing for parents to teach and encourage because that by definition means going against the flow or the norm.  It means pursuing things that are difficult and /or not necessarily 'accepted' but that work for our kids.

    As an educator and parent your items above are both vital and difficult to achieve and I whole-heartedly hail them!

    I blog a lot about educational/parental issues - hope you visit me too!

     

    Meryl Jaffe, PhD

    www.departingthetext.blogspot.com