Some would say there’s a fine line between passion and obsession. First of all, what is the difference?
I found a great explanation that I will use here to frame the rest of this post.
Passion – when people admire you for it
Obsession – when you do it too much and people think you’re weird
However, how does one truly impact an industry, a culture, a generation without people thinking they’re weird? Especially when what you choose to be passionate about/be obsessed with is different from what everyone else is doing.
What happens when you’re literally the only person doing what you’re doing? Do you keep going because you have such a strong belief in what you’re doing? Do you keep going because you know you have the ability and the opportunity to impact a lot of people in a very positive way? Do you keep going because you love what you’re doing and the more you do it, the more you see the potential?
How long do you keep at something before you decide it isn’t worth it? How often and how much do you listen to the opinions of others? Do you reach out for help from your friends and family? Do they believe in your journey?
I truly believe that the difference between passion and obsession is a fine line. I believe that it is defined differently by different people.
Why am I asking this question? I admit that people think I’m weird for what I do. I’ve been made fun of but through it all, I do what I do because I deeply love throwing a frisbee. It’s like meditation for me. I don’t just throw because it’s fun. I throw because I’m good at it, and because I want to be better at it.
Do people think I’m weird because I’m passionate about frisbee and they don’t understand frisbee? Or do they think I’m weird because I am obsessed with frisbee? I would think the first because I don’t consider what I’m doing as an obsession. I think obsession means that it impacts you and those around you in a negative and harmful way.
Sure my involvement in frisbee has cost me thousands of dollars. Sure it’s taken up a lot of my time that I could have spent developing friendships and relationships. I’ve no doubt lost relationships because of the time I spend doing what I love. Ideally I want to involve as many people in my life as possible in disc sports. For me, it’s a lifetime of living an active lifestyle. There’s a reason we joke “when a ball dreams, it dreams it’s a frisbee”. There truly is no other toy than a frisbee. Although I did love my transformer toy which was one of the top transformer toys back in the day. Do you ask yourself; are scooter safe for kids? Of course they are! Read more at myproscooter.com.
So I ask you, what do you think the difference between passion and obsession is?
I think it really depends on what you want from the situation. I believe that if you want to be really good at something, that you need to immerse yourself in it, with a desire that is obsessive, it has to be your passion and consume your time and thoughts. With that being said – some goals aren’t worth that much effort to people and so they don’t choose that route. It’s really up to the person and how much they want something.
@JNadon Great point…some goals don’t take that much effort while others take a lifetime of dedication. Thanks!
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