Follow your Passions—Serenity follows

Many people think of excitement as happiness. They are thinking of something or expecting something that they consider to be happiness. But when you are excited, you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.
(Thich Nhat Hanh)

In my experience, combining purpose and passion is the only way to advance along a spiritual journey. If you can throw your talents into the mix, and perhaps even marketability, then you even have your ego on board. It is the ‘here and now’ that matters and anyone who is on a worthwhile mission engages with the present just as spirituality demands. It may not be the state of enlightenment, not yet entirely peace of mind either, but for sure it is the way of getting there. Whenever we are running passionately after somewhere that gives us meaning, it serves a spiritual purpose.


Serenity and peace of mind are something different though. This is the state when the fire of passion have calmed down a bit. Maybe occasionally glimpses of serenity pop up when you discover what your life mission is all about, but mostly the journey is about getting what you truly want and that takes a little while and takes a lot of effort to get there. In the process, you can burn a little of karma, throw overboard a little baggage of the past. Running after our passions can be best described as the process when the ego feels the fire, yet the Angels know that purpose is just around the corner.


Serenity will come when we are ready. Enlightenment will strike when most of the karma of the past has been worked off. Meanwhile, let’s jump right into life’s thrills and obstacles. Serenity shall follow one day.