A discussion series excerpted from my book: The Competence Myth: Why Your Technical Skills Are No Longer Enough and What You Can Do About It. Chapter 1: "Living Your Life with Passion",
Life offers an endless array of possibilities. We all recognize that. The issue is how to move beyond the boundaries of familiarity and complacency toward a life of excitement and fulfillment. Your life should be an exciting journey; and why not? As far of any of us really knows, this is the only shot we get. We owe it to ourselves and those we love to pursue our lives with passion.
Live your life fully, with a whole-hearted commitment to making each day the best experience possible. Commit to lifelong learning and new areas of personal expression. Granted, this is easier said than done. It’s not easy to maintain that spirit over the long haul, even with the best of intentions. Invariably, we’ll have challenges and setbacks, and when they occur, we must deal with them.
However, it’s also fair to say that for most of us, the main reason we don’t live our lives with more passion is not because of any particular setback or hardship. It’s more likely due to who and what we’ve become over the years. We’ve learned to play it safe, not make waves, and avoid undue public scrutiny. We want to be well-regarded by our peers and our loved ones, so we project only what we think others will approve of.
But what if we approach each day with renewed enthusiasm for what’s around the next corner? What would that look like? What if we took time to acknowledge the feeling of satisfaction each time we accomplished something new and different? Make this the day you approach your life, your job, and your world with passion.
I know you're an Engineer, so am I, and together, we’re just getting beginning a journey of self-expression, communication and creativity. If you'll commit to this effort, you'll be amazed at the opportunities and experiences you'll find along the way. Let’s get started!
L. Eric Culverson, eric@technically-speaking.com, is author of The Competence Myth, President of Technically Speaking, Inc., technically-speaking.com, and conducts interactive communication workshops for engineers. For more information, visit TheCompetenceMyth.com. Follow me on Twitter @ericculverson