While I was riding with my friend, Len, last Monday, we discussed passion. The conversation dwindled down to him asking me, “How do we foster passion within our kids?”
Unlike most Asian parents who pushed their kids to do piano or math lessons, my parents let me be who I am. I spent a lot of time playing video games and riding my bike. Maybe that’s how they helped me discover my own passion…by finding it out myself.
I often wonder about my passion – The love for triathlon. The love to swim, bike and run. The love to go long.
Where did that came from?
How come some people have passion and some don’t? Why doesn’t everyone go and find their passion? Passion cannot be forced upon you. It has to be discovered. It is like a favorite color. I can’t tell you that your favorite color is red. You tell me what your passion is. Blue or green or black. Everyone is different.
And you can’t discover your passion unless you try. I never cared about triathlon until I did one myself. My first triathlon – The ackward swim, the rain beating me on the bike and the tough run. It felt like home. It was as if God created me to tri.
Passion has to come from the inside. You can’t find passion with impure motivation. I can’t force myself to have a passion in cars if I only did it to get girls.
There are many books and resources out to help you find your passion. Do this or that. Steps A, B, C and D. There is no one RIGHT way because each of us has a different path on life. The only way to discover my passion is through me. No one can take my road for me. And this road has its ups and downs. I never expect a smooth ride.
There is a big difference between doing what you hate and ‘suffering’ for what you love. A lot of people misinterpret me when I tell them, “I bike/run for x hours”. They think it is a sufferfest. Boy, was it a lot of fun.
So coming back to Len’s question, “How do we foster passion within our kids?” The only answer I have is to set an example myself.
I hope someday when I have kids, they can look back and see their dad is a ‘just go out and do it’ dad. Not for money or fame or any superficial reason. Do it for simply doing it. For the love of it. I walk my talk. I go after my passion. I will not stop until I find it. Once I find it, I nurture it. Never settle for mediocrity. AMEN!
