Believe it or not, addiction is often mistaken for passion. This is because both can make a person feel energized, excited, and powerful, but it’s important to decipher between the two so you can ensure that you’re pursuing a passion, not an addiction.
What’s the difference?
One of the most fantastic explanations for the difference between passion and addiction comes from Dr. Gabor Maté’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, in which he writes:
“The difference between passion and addiction is that between a divine spark and a flame that incinerates. Passion is divine fire while it enlivens and makes holy.
it gives light and yields inspiration. Passion is generous because it’s not ego-driven, while addiction is self-centered and a thief. Passion gives and enriches.
Passion
Passion is a source of truth and enlightenment; addictive behaviors lead you into darkness. You’re more alive when you are passionate. And you triumph whether or not you attain your goal.
But an addiction requires a specific outcome that feeds the ego; without that outcome. The ego feels empty and deprived. A consuming passion that you are helpless to resist, no matter what the consequences, is an addiction.”
“You may even devote your entire life to a passion, but if it’s truly a passion and not an addiction, you’ll do so with freedom, joy, and a full assertion of your truest self and values.
In addiction, there’s no joy, freedom, or assertion. The addict lurks shamefaced in the shadowy corners of her own existence. It is passion’s darksome outcome and, to the naïve observer, its perfect mimic. It resembles passion in its urgency and in the promise of fulfillment, but its gifts are illusory; it’s a black hole. The more you offer it, the more it demands. Unlike passion, its outcome does not create new elements from old.
It only degrades what it touches and turns it into something less, something cheaper. The question to ask yourself is, ‘am I happier after pursuing my addiction?’
Addiction is centrifugal. It sucks energy from you, creating a vacuum of inertia. A passion energizes you and enriches your relationships.
It empowers you and gives strength to others. Addiction consumes, and passion creates. First the self and then the others within its orbit.”
In essence:
- Passion needs truth; addiction needs deception
- Addiction pursues the outcome, while passion pursues the process.
- Addiction kills the spirit, while Passion illuminates the spirit.
- Passion can be stopped; addiction must be maintained
- Addiction is all-consuming, while Passion has balance.
- Addiction creates disconnection and isolation while it creates connection and community;
- Passionate people are enriched by others, while addicted people are consumed with themselves
- Passionate people accept responsibility and criticism, while addicted people refuse responsibility and deny criticism
The process vs. the outcome
If you listen to people who have achieved a lot, you’ll find them insisting that their achievements are based on passion. Often, it’s not. The outcome, not the process, consumes them. Additionally, That becomes evident because there is no balance, joy, or fulfillment outside of their pursuit.
Therefore, the process leading up to the outcome is filled with stress and anxiety, not enjoyment. And it will only be in the outcome where they’ll experience a few moments of joy and delight; it’s this feeling that they’ll chase. It’s high, and it’s because they’re putting themselves through turmoil to get to that point.
Finally, when successful people eventually reach their end goal, they will start feeling a sense of emptiness where that high no longer exists.
That’s not to say you can’t pursue your passion and be successful. You can. The difference is that sense of joy. It’s essential to be self-aware enough to realize where you stand. You must have balance.
Whether it’s your relationship, career, or hobby, think about the differences between passion and addiction. Take honest stock of your life. Is your pursuit robbing your soul or fulfilling your soul? And most importantly, how is it affecting the people in your life? If you are abandoning your spouse or friends, or children for your passion, it is most likely hiding intolerable pain.
To discover your autherntic self and true passion, my book, Your Journey To Success shows you how. If you are struggling with addiction and need help, you can schedule an appointment, enroll in my masterclasses or joing my private group here: https://kennyweiss.net/coaching/
Enjoy The Journey??
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