Mexico City, 2019

The Beautiful Monster of Passion

Perhaps the Point of Life Isn’t to Reach a State of Zen?

Life isn’t to reach tranquility

Mexico City, 2019
Mexico City, 2019

For my whole life, I’ve been trying to find more “peace” and zen in my heart, because often times– my sense of hustle, dissatisfaction can be overwhelming.

But a thought:

What if the point of life wasn’t to reach a zen, but rather– to perpetually be dissatisfied, but be strong enough to leverage the passion of dissatisfaction into achieving more?

Everyday I’m hustling

Mexico City, 2019
Mexico City, 2019 #ricohgrii

“I’m never satisfied– can’t knock my hustle.” – JAY Z

In photography, I am never fully satisfied with my photography. This always frustrated me in the past. I would spend all my time seeking the ‘perfect’ camera, the ‘perfect’ equipment, and the ‘perfect’ lifestyle to accommodate my desires and needs.

But what if the point was to NEVER be satisfied? What if we could use the passion of dissatisfaction into a positive stimulus– to drive us further, and higher? Couldn’t we mobilize this beautiful beast of dissatisfaction to reach higher heights, and achieve more greatness while we are still alive?

Are you strong enough?

Mexico City, 2019
Mexico City, 2019

A thought–

Perhaps the reason why we want to find a state of zen, is because we aren’t strong enough to handle the negative emotion of passion.

Which means,

Most of us would prefer to not have the pain associated with dissatisfaction and frustration, even though the pain makes us a stronger person, with more desires and a stronger sense of hustle.

Then a thought to myself:

Would I prefer to live a far more painful life– if it were a stimulus to help me achieve higher elevations of greatness? Or would I prefer to be a mediocre person with no pain in life?

I would choose the pain!


Channel your great passions

Mexico City, 2019
Mexico City, 2019

Don’t look at your passions as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Instead, see all of your passions as beneficial and useful. The question is:

How can I leverage my “bad” qualities into a positive?

For example:

  1. Use your passion of dissatisfaction to drive you to hustle harder, drive you further, to innovate more, to discover more, and to become more!
  2. Use your passion of anger to enact positive changes in society — fight where you find a sense of injustice, or bullshit.
  3. Passion is painful, but always see how you can leverage it to benefit yourself and others.

BECOME HARDER!

ERIC