Passion is overused and frequently misunderstood.

I was used to regarding the term passion with lame chick-flicks and overly-emotional people. The worst incarnation of passion arrived when people demanded of me emotional investment when I had no deposits to make. So, needless to say, I’ve never thought of myself as a passionate person because I linked passion with those unfortunate circumstances.

But, as the Geico commercial with the movie voice guy says, “a new wind was about to blow.”

This week I was in a situation where I made a conscious attempt to approach my goal solely with fact and rationality. I assumed that my desire to succeed would shine through the facts, the analysis I gave to them, and the conclusions I spent a good deal of time deriving.

Wrong.

While the presentation went off well, feedback I received afterwards told me that I seemed colorless and even may have shot myself in the foot.

That, in a word, sucked — because I wouldn’t be where I was right now without the desire and color and drive to make my vision reality.

And as I thought about it, I realized that passion isn’t really a bad word per se. I, until this week, misunderstood its true meaning. I didn’t apply it to my own context, my own frame of understanding.

What’s the takeaway? Passion doesn’t have to mean long walks on the beach or roses and chocolates. It means what you want it to mean. It means doing what you love. And if it’s something you love, never make excuses for it. That is you.