4: Fire In The Gut - The Pragmatics Of Passion
Passions are flow state-generating strategic operating practices that produce the tangible products and services that help other human beings care for what impacts their ability to live a good life at a level equal to or greater than the amount of value to others that our financial purpose dictates.
Passion is the final strategy in…
…Phase I and I’ll describe that better in the final tactic of this course, but for now it’s important you understand it in the context of your purpose.
Review the following definitions that make up the above definition of passion and then I’ll pull this all together at the end.
Flow State is also known as “being in the zone,” which indicates that we are operating within our passion—our authentic self. Flow is a mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus and complete involvement.
Strategic Operating Practices are a set of actions intentionally designed to create and/or care for a part of a thing in a way that produces the desired positive impacts and mitigates or eliminates the negative impacts they are intended to avoid.
Passion is pragmatic
Later, when you’ve completed the Passion course, you will have designed your personal and professional life to not only function well together,
but in a way that will have you operating at your highest, most authentic self possible. And here’s why that’s critical to your very survival.
Let’s say Person A and Person B…
…had the same job and were making the same offer of help to others. This applies to both personal and professional offers — but for this example, let’s stick to the professional side.
Now, if Person A was passionate about the…
…offer they were making and Person B was not, who would have their offer accepted more often?
Exactly. Person A. Even if you didn’t have a clear definition of passion, this is intuitively obvious.
Okay now — let’s say there was a…
…shift in the marketplace. Which person would be more likely to notice the change, adjust their approach, and not only stay in the game but pull ahead because of it?
Once again, Person A beats Person B.
Between the two of them…
…who would leave work with more energy, more clarity, and more resilience to handle the next challenge?
At the end of the day, who would be happier?
Who would likely inspire others, be seen as a leader, and feel aligned with their core values?
Again — it’s Person A.
Now Let’s Take It Up a Notch
Which one of these people would be more likely to create the change — not just react to it?
Yes, of course — Person A. But that’s not all that happens when we’re the one who creates the change.
When we produce the change in how something gets done, we move to the front of the “wave” — while everyone else gets stuck behind it.
We step into what’s known as a Blue Ocean Strategy — a term that describes creating a new, uncontested market space where competition becomes irrelevant because it’s not there.
And in a “Blue Ocean,” everything gets easier. Effort drops while results increase. You’re no longer competing — you’re leading. You’re creating the new standard.
This is why operating within your passion isn’t just preferred — it’s pragmatic. It’s not just a good feeling; it’s the foundation for success — an absolute requirement to live a good life in our current environment.
So I did promise to…
…pull this all together at the end, and I will in the next tactic — Tactic 5: Identifying the Conventional and Unconventional Strategies Required to Fulfill Our Purposes,
…but for now what’s important is that you understand that living within your passion isn’t something you aspire to do once you’ve succeeded.
In today’s world, it’s how you succeed.
Strategic Writing
When we write, we expand our understanding in ways that produce new thinking—thinking that leads to more powerful distinctions, which allow us to better identify and fulfill the purposes for which we were created.
1: What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
2: In what ways did that definition fall short?
3: How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
4: What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion?
1: What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
Passion is what you are willing to suffer for. Not that you need to suffer, but you would be willing to.
2: In what ways did that definition fall short?
The definition falls short in not pointing to a way to achieve passion, or how to get there without suffering.
3: How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
The new definition points to defining standard operating practices that allow one to achieve passion, and also to use one’s passion in a way that adds value to that one can live a dignified life.
4: What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion?
The likelihood of reaching a high level is low because one is unlikely to achieve flow if the activities aren’t aligned with one’s passion.
1: What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
Passion meant for me just something that I like to do, love to do, that I enjoy, that I’m looking forward to doing. It was almost a synonym for a really big hobby.
2: In what ways did that definition fall short?
If something is just a hobby, no matter how big, it doesn’t generate the products / services that help other human beings care for that which impacts their ability to live a good life. I can really enjoy my hobby, but it doesn’t produce the power that I need to fulfill my purposes.
3: How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
I needn’t follow just my instinct and emotions any more, I’ve got a great system that contains all details and modifications, that I can even use for finding new ways to do something effectively, and how to use my passion efficiently. If passion would be just an emotion, those unique gifts show us the ways how to handle passion, how to use it, they create all together the true passion that enables us to fulfill our purposes and live a good life.
4: What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion?
It is possible, but it is not likely, and our personal purpose is usually the price for it. But the most likely situation is that I waste all my power, never fulfill my financial purpose, and will fail my personal purpose as well.
1: What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
– I always thought of passion as something you do to drive enjoyment, maybe even a hobby of what you’d rather do than work.
2: In what ways did that definition fall short?
– Just about every part of the definition says this isn’t passion but more of a distraction. Work should be your purpose with passion to help drive Power (time, energy, creativity and currency) needed to live a good live.
3: How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
– It clearly defines that passion is the context of the purpose, therefore living within your passion is your purpose.
4: What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion?
– Some people are lucky enough to fulfill their financial requirements but very few people are able to achieve their financial “PUPOSE” without passion. They simply won’t have the context of who they are or their WHY. I see burnout from executives all the time and clearly see the root cause behind it now.
1: What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
A gut resonance with an environment (based on nature & nurture/experience) and a feeling of belonging and value in it
2: In what ways did that definition fall short?
It fails to elevate passion to its rightful position of prominence as a requirement for work.
3: How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
By demanding passion as a requirement for the compensable work I offer (because of its ability to generate flow), and the process of creating an SOP to match passion with work, I will expand my understanding and leverage of my unique passion(s).
4: What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion?
I not only would fail to earn adequate compensation for my offerings without passion, but I would die inside a little each day doing it.
1: What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
Before this, I would have said passion is simply that thing that lights you up inside—what gets you out of bed in the morning and makes the work feel a little less like work. I’d have told you it’s that energy, that excitement that makes life richer and more vibrant. Maybe I’d even say it’s the thing you’d do even if you weren’t getting paid for it.
But as I’m learning here, that’s only scratching the surface of what passion really is.
2: In what ways did that definition fall short?
Well, that old definition left out something critical—it didn’t connect passion to the real, tangible work of caring for the parts of life that matter most. It was more of a feeling—an enthusiasm—without the grounding in how passion actually generates value in the lives of others. It also didn’t make the link between passion and our financial purpose—how it’s not just what we love to do, but how we bring that to others in ways that create real, measurable impact.
Without that connection, passion seemed almost like a luxury—something we might have the privilege to pursue after we’d “made it.” But this new understanding shows me it’s actually a strategic practice, a core operating system for how to make a living and a life that’s truly meaningful.
3: How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
This new definition shows me that passion isn’t just an emotion—it’s a deliberate, strategic approach to using what I’m best at to care for what matters most. It’s about aligning my unique gifts—my talents, my skills, and even my quirks—with the real needs of the people I’m here to serve.
And when I see it that way, passion becomes the bridge between who I am and the impact I can make. It’s the reason why, when I show up with genuine enthusiasm and flow, the world responds in kind. My passion becomes the signature of my work—something that can’t be copied or competed with because it’s uniquely mine.
4: What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion?
Without my passion, I’d be fighting an uphill battle every single day. Sure, I might be able to hustle my way to some level of success, but it would be exhausting and, frankly, unsustainable. The energy would fade, and the impact wouldn’t resonate in the way it needs to.
But with passion as my operating practice, I’m not just competing—I’m leading. I’m not stuck in the grind—I’m stepping into a flow state that naturally attracts others to what I offer. And that’s the difference between surviving and thriving. Because without passion, I wouldn’t just struggle to fulfill my financial purpose—I’d be missing out on the very thing that makes the work worth doing in the first place.
1. What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
– I’ve often thought of passion as “something you’re willing to die for”. Our culture often uses the word to mean “intense like or appreciate for something or someone”. The root of the word comes from “suffering” and it connotes “value” and “belief”.
2. In what ways did that definition fall short?
– My previous definition of “passion” falls short because it focuses on the individual (me) and suggests a disconnection with the tactical aspects of life. It suggests that “passion” arises from some unknown source and there’s not much a person can do about it besides attempt to “control” it. That view results in seeing “passion” as a liability, a source of intense power that a seemingly wise person would do well to master. Some philosophers and theologians are known for sayings like, “Don’t be controlled by your passions.” These perspectives misunderstand what passion is and express fear of their potential intense power.
If, on the other hand, passion is vital to us living at our best, we’ll never be able to pursue that without passion.
3. How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
– Passions understood in this new way are the key to connecting purpose to the value we can generate for others in order to help them care for their concerns. It will require identifying my passions and aligning my strategic operating practices with those passions. I expect this to be an ongoing identification, assessment, and focus for action.
4. What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion?
– No chance. If somehow I was provided sufficient financial means from some outside source, I still could not fulfill my purpose without being connected to my passion. I would be a hollow man who only appears from the outside to have what I need to live a good life. It would be like walking across the finish line without actually running the marathon. People might be fooled for awhile, but my life would ultimately amount to very little.
1: What do you think? How would you have defined passion prior to this?
A point of excitement and care and fire toward a goal
2: In what ways did that definition fall short?
It wasn’t successful in achieving results at high level even thoughi energizing
3: How does this new definition of passion start to reveal the path to actually operating using the unique gifts you’ve been given?
By redefining to look for flow state and beyond cutting edge solutions I can see a path to a unique and high value result from my flow and work
4: What is the likelihood of you competing at a high enough level to fulfill your financial purpose if you weren’t using your passion? Zero
I will grind to a halt eventually that way
Before this I defined passion (mine) as competing to be the best that I can
Now I see that I need a fundamental alignment that allows me to connect my energy in a new way looking for breakthrough ways to present my passion uniquely and be the innovation offer that has no competition