Monday, July 25, 2005

How do you define success?

Does Passion equal Success?

How do we define passion? How do we define success? What is the correct aim for success? What should we be passionate about?

Webster’s online says the following:

Passion

Noun
1. Strong feeling or emotion.
2. Intense passion or emotion. (how can you use a word to describe itself?)
3. Something that is desired intensely; "his rage for fame destroyed him".
4. An irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action.
5. A feeling of strong sexual desire.
6. Any object of warm affection or devotion; "the theater was her first love" or "he has a passion for cock fighting".
7. The suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion.

Success

Noun
1. An event that accomplishes its intended purpose; "let's call heads a success and tails a failure"; "the election was a remarkable success for Republicans".
2. An attainment that is successful; "his success in the marathon was unexpected"; "his new play was a great success".
3. A state of prosperity or fame; "he is enjoying great success"; "he does not consider wealth synonymous with success".
4. A person with a record of successes; "his son would never be the achiever that his father was"; "only winners need apply"; "if you want to be a success you have to dress like a success".

A co-worker states one must be at the top of his/her field to be successful. Meaning instead of an EMT be a doctor. He firmly believes passion equals success. If there is no passion on is not successful.

Is it a sin to be happy with your station in life? Must we all strive to be Billy Graham? Why are we jealous of the next guy doing more or less than us?

I have a severe dislike for studying. Medicine requires studying. I would go crazy studying to stay proficient as a doctor. I would become a terrible person. (I am not saying all doctors are bad. Just that I would be a worse person than I am now. A lesser Christian even) I am the best EMT I know. Should I strive to be a doctor and be a mediocre one? I don’t think so. I feel I am where God wants me to be. Doing what God wants me to do. Don't get me wrong, I have my faults. But accountability with other men is keeping those faults in check.

Why do we get high and mighty thinking the janitor is below us? If it wasn’t for the maintenance crew the preacher couldn’t stand in front of everyone and preach the word. Then again I might be wrong. Your church might have an outhouse. Your church might be situated on a hill just right that the wind always blows the stench away from the church. Hey....it is a better analogy than the first one that came to mind.

On a side note…..what about procrastination?

Harvestnet’s article Walking out of the desert

Why does it seem we take so long to start working for the Lord? Moses went 40 years before he saw the burning bush. Isn’t there much to be learned by the widow with only the mite to give? Why do we feel we have to be Billy Graham? Why can’t we accept what God intended us to be? Just setting a good Christian example while learning to be all that you can be should work.

I am not condoning my waiting 25 years to find my voice. However, I look back and find that the trials I went through have made me a better person and therefore a better Christian. I still find it difficult to post somedays. Notice the recent two week lapse.


Does passion equal success?

Correct aim of passions as defined by Iam Caldwell and Dustin Thomason in The Rule of Four.

All it takes to be happy is to love the right things in the right amounts. Not money. Not books. People. Adults who don’t understand that never feel fulfilled.

Even though that is a secular novel I find the advise worthwhile. Love the right things in the right amounts.

J-Jesus
O-others
Y-you

3 comments:

John Gillmartin said...

The thing that separates passion and success for me is the source of each.

Passion is a gift of God; it's an emotion, a sense, independent of success ... you have it even if you don't succeed. It's what keeps you keeping on!

Seccess is subjective and is therefore rooted in the flesh; it is tied to expectation, and unfulfilled expectation brings on disappointment, discouragement, depression, disillusionment, etc.

Jesus said, "apart from Me you can do nothing." So I say, let's leave the success in His hands and just have a passion for Him.

HE ALONE IS ABLE

Pilot Mom said...

I really like how JAG, above, put his thoughts. He says it very well.

God calls each person to a different area. Whatever He calls you to do then one should do it to the very best of his ability, for His glory. We are not all called to be "legs" or all called to be "thumbs" etc. What a weird looking body we would be if that were so. :)

Thank you for your service. It means everything to me! Blessings on your day!

John Schroeder said...

I am passionate about not giving a rat's rear about success...

I'm happy; therefore, I am successful.