When Too Much Passion Can Be A Curse

Was super psyched to see this headline. Seemed like it’d check the boxes related to understanding how an obsessive passion for work took me, & has taken many others, spiraling down.
 
Interestingly, the article instead focused on the REASONS why we’re passionate, dictating what’s healthy & what’s not. Their belief: we’re healthy when we’re passionate abt WHAT we’re doing, instead of WHY we’re doing it. Essentially the passion that comes from the intrinsic value of our work.
 
The opposite would be – being driven by the results: the $ we make, the likes we get, the reactions we see in friends, the awards we win. They argue – like we spoke abt w the college admissions scandal, under this model, nothing’s ever enough & u’re always wanting more.
 
There’s definitely validity to the above. I’d argue that certain “outcomes” aren’t so unhealthy to be motivated by. Example: I love writing these blogs, but if they help to change/save one life, I’m that much more motivated to write the next.  I guess for me, the TYPES of results that motivate your passion have to be taken into account.
 
But the bigger question abt passion, that I thought this article would address, is how much passion is “too much.” The answer I believe is that it’s when that passion is so intense, that we neglect other areas of our lives that give us balance & promote health.
 
It sounds logical to think – if u’ve faced harsh/traumatic/stressful events in the past, doing more of what you love will balance out those harmful events.  Unfortunately as so many of us have learned, that’s not how it works.
 
You can love your day-to-day 10X over the next guy/gal…but if you do nothing but bury yourself in passionate work, you’re neglecting ridding yourself of the cumulative trauma you’ve built up over ur life. You’re also at great risk as more trauma builds as life continues.
 
Passion is amazing, as long it’s not so all-consuming that you neglect things like 1) participating in hobbies, 2) self-care, 3) release & rewiring practices, 4) fam time. Nothing can replace these essential activities that actually do provide balance & drain our traumas.