Truth In Stone :: The Weblog of Stone Legends

“I’ve Lost My Passion for Obligation” by Richard Carey

With every journey there will come time and a place where the excitement dwindles. This is what I think the psyche calls the “Peter Principle.” Our conversations change and our own words convict us with words like, “This is all I can do or this is too comfortable for me and I have no need for more, or the reward doesn’t constitute the effort.” We have all, at one time or another, come to this place. The sad fact is we are often well short of our goal when this realization overcomes us. A sinking feeling and even depression can set in, apathy follows.

What do we do now? Quit or rationalize excusing the obligation? Do we ease our conscious and abandon the effort? Do we settle for what we have? These are all voices we hear in our heads. An even more revealing perspective follows this same vain, I can see what it is going to take and I just don’t want to put the effort into it. This is the conversation of passion, clearly indecisive. This is where the voice of reason has a strong hold better known as the voice of excuses. Passion is hard to hold on an even keel. Suddenly it is how you feel not what you know.

The smarter we get the more we see exactly what it is going to be like when we do take on an obligation. Everything so far has been a conversation of passion first and the reasoning of the obligation second. Properly ordered is the consideration of the obligation with passions following sound reason.

“Obligation is a well-considered promise and the means to do so. Passion is a feeling about a decision and a travesty if it’s the decision-maker.”

For this reason I learned to control my passions. It is better I direct where my passions are, rather than them directing me. I know them well, passions are quick to speak. When I control my tongue so goes my passions. Now when obligation is clear, it is time to unleash my passions on it.

Once upon a time my decisions were driven by my passions which soon obligated me. When I realized the proper order, I decided with sound reason to be obligated and then the decision was made to use my passion. Before then, passion always took me places, now I take my passions with me to places. That day changed me forever, with a decision made my obligation clear, I then took my passions instead of it taking me.

Which comes first, I lost my passion for obligation or made an obligation with my passion?