The LETTER:  The Official Report of The L Group

What's Your Secret Sauce?

Part 4 – Ignite Your Passion
by Lee J. Colan, Ph.D.

(This report is an excerpt from Lee's next book "What's Your Secret Sauce?")

Let’s talk about the third and final secret sauce ingredient.  Passion is the fuel that ignites your success!  Having passion for a particular goal – personal or professional – provides the energy and motivation to take the necessary actions to achieve that goal. 

Researchers who study high achievers now consider passion to be the “missing link.”  It is the intangible component that explains why some people and teams are better able to stick to their plans and achieve greater levels of success.  Success like Pierre Omidyar has achieved.

Pierre Omidyar was born in Paris, France and moved to the United States at the age of 6.  He developed an interest in computing while in high school, so when he enrolled at Tufts University in 1984, he chose computer science as his major.

After graduation, he joined a subsidiary of Apple Computer to work as a consumer software engineer.  His girlfriend, at the time, was an avid collector of Pez candy dispensers and was having trouble finding other collectors interested in trading their duplicates.  In an effort to help her find other Pez collectors around the country, Omidyar placed a notice on his personal Web site, inviting other collectors to trade their treasures.

Soon, hundreds of Pez collectors were not only visiting Pierre’s Web site but also posting offers and requests for other items – and paying for the privilege.  This gave the young computer whiz something to think about.  So, on Labor Day 1995, the 28-year-old Omidyar launched an online experiment than ultimately emerged into eBay. 

Soon after startup, the new eBay Web site was attracting more than 1.5 billion viewers and hosting four million auctions in more than 4,000 categories every day.  Now, close to half a million new items are added for sale every 24 hours.  Hundreds of thousands of members make their living entirely on eBay and enjoy the freedom of owning a business.  More than 150 million people trust strangers with every transaction, using eBay’s open and honest environment.

Omidyar has donated tens of millions of dollars to help others.  In fact, over the next five years, one of his non-profit networks plans to invest $400 million.  With net worth now measured in billions of dollars, Omidyar said he plans to give away all but one percent of his wealth within 20 years.  All this good placed into the world because of one man’s passion for helping a friend collect Pez!

In today's information-rich, time-poor world it’s easy to get information indigestion, so here are eight “quick bites” that are easy to digest.  Apply just one bite at a time to ignite your own passion:
 

Quick Bite #1
We gravitate to our dominant thought and we move toward that which we believe to be true.  Use these natural forces to pick a goal that ignites your passion (you should feel the tingle up your spine!).  Next, select an image (i.e., relaxing on the beach, the smiling face of a friend, a hand reaching out for help), word (e.g., victory, abundance, legacy) or physical item (e.g., ring, coin, sticker, wristband).  Then, use the image, word or item you select as a constant reminder of your goal.  It will trigger an emotional response, ingrain your goal into your mind and more quickly start moving you toward your goal.  The things we focus on create a magnet for our lives.  Focus on opportunities and doors seem to open.  Focus on problems and our lives become a drama.  Focus on the humor and we live in a comedy.  Focus on your passion and your life will be filled with it!
 

Quick Bite #2
Ask yourself before leaving the office each day, “Did I do something today that leaves a positive, lasting impact?” If the answer is no, stay until you do.  Write down what type of legacy you want to leave and make sure you do something every day to start building your legacy.  
 

Quick Bite #3
Give what you want.  If you want a passion-filled life, you have to give it.  Think of how you respond to others.  Are your responses filled with enthusiasm and energy or are they flat and lifeless?  The level of your passion will be reflected back to you – it’s your boomerang to the world.   

The power of your actions is preceded by the passion of your words.  The next time anyone asks, “How are you?” whether it's someone at work or a cashier at the store, respond with passion.  Give them an energetic, enthusiastic, “Great!” or “Terrific!”  It will be hard to do without a smile on your face and you are likely to get one back.  Second, you will likely feel a physical response of increased energy.  Third, your words will send a message to your mind that will be consistent with feeling Great! or Terrific!   
 

Quick Bite #4
Communicate with your  “community” about your passion.  The word “communication” comes from the Latin root meaning “community.”  The highest achievers surround themselves with others who share their passions.  Stay connected with your community” for support, to learn from, to teach others and to stay motivated to stick to it! 

Use your passion to inspire others.  Be ready to use your passion as an example to encourage those around you to pursue their own passion.  A true passion, like love, is limitless … so share it!
 

Quick Bite #5
Listen to Yoda (OK, I’m a Star Wars geek!).  In the immortal words of the Star Wars Jedi Master, "Do or do not. There is no 'try.’"  If you are nervous that your plan won't work, you might find yourself saying, “Okay, I'll try to do it.” You are laying the foundation for being unsuccessful from the beginning, giving yourself a way out. Yoda's adage is a passionate reminder that life rewards those who let their actions rise above their excuses. Don’t wait for your passion to act; act to ignite your passion.  If you are still searching for what you are passionate about, let your actions tell your heart what to feel.  Your behavior is the best gauge of what is in your heart.

Sometimes our intentions cloud our perceptions of our actions.  Have you ever heard someone say, “I intended to tell her how important she is to our team before she left,” or “I intended to volunteer last weekend,” or “I meant to vote this past election,” or “I intended to keep my commitment, but …”?  Well, the truth is, we judge ourselves by our intentions, but others judge us by our actions.  Your actions are the voice of your passion, so turn your intentions into action.
 

Quick Bite #6
Ask yourself, “What would I do if I had no fear?”  Fear is the greatest enemy of passion.  Fear, like worry, is generally much bigger in our minds than reality: False Expectations Appearing Real.  We all have it, but only those who know and understand their fears can conquer them in pursuit of their passion.   

Garage sales, rain or shine.  For years, a friend of mine has organized several garage sales every year, with the proceeds going to a local charitable organization. Three out of four times, it rains – literally.  What's interesting is she raises just as much money when it rains as she does when the sun shines.  Whether or not the conditions were comfortable for her, the outcome was still positive.  Don’t let your own discomfort or fear rain on your passion parade! 
 

Quick Bite #7
Enjoy the journey.  If it’s only about achieving the goal, you are likely to lose your passion along the way.  Take time to be a human being – not just a human doing.  Although high achievers have a laser-like focus, they also relish being in the moment. 

Since most worthwhile goals take more than a few weeks to achieve, and our passion can falter en route.  Stop and celebrate the positive steps that you have made toward accomplishing your goals.  Look back to appreciate how far you have come to help you refuel your passion.   Imagine the things you will be able to do once you have achieved your goal.  Does it feel freeing?  What will you be able to do with your precious resources – time, money and energy?   This exercise is particularly helpful in times of waning passion. 
 

Quick Bite #8
Keep a dream file.  Write down even those dreams that might seem too “out there” to tell anyone.  The act of writing them down can be the spark you need to ignite a bolder passion to pursue those dreams!  Remember, no dream comes true until you wake up and go to work on it. 

Follow your heart no matter how long the journey.  I remember talking with a friend of mine who was 30 years old at the time.  He really regretted never going to medical school but still carried a passion for being a doctor.  One night, he started his familiar lamenting, “Well, it was just a dream.  It’s too late now.  It takes at least five years and I will be 35 years old by the time I am finished with medical school.”  I then asked, “How old will you be in 5 years if you don’t go to medical school?”  It’s never too late to ignite your life’s passion.  Make today your day!   

Never give up on something you are passionate about.  Consider changing your approach, your attitude or your timeframe, but never give up.  Keep moving forward ... each step opens new pathways to realize your passion.

Keep the faith … in yourself and in your passion.  If you believe it, you can conceive it.  If you conceive it, you can achieve it!

No doubt, you have mixed experiences, skills and knowledge to create your own secret sauce... and unique successes.  So click here to share your secret sauce. 

Who knows, it might end up in my next book, "What's Your Secret Sauce?"

I can't wait to read about it!

Copyright © 2007 by Lee J. Colan

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