It is a state of being where you are entirely absorbed in what you are doing, known as flow by modern psychological science, productive activity by humanist philosopher Erich Fromm, and the right effort by Buddha.

Harmonious passion

Setting a goal and doing everything possible to pursue it is a great feeling. However, often it is the very striving to be great that gets in the way of actually being great.

Obsessive passion

Setting a goal to meet a pinnacle can be great. However, if that is all you desire, you'll end up suffering.
But, if you are present for the journey, and sometimes forget about the end altogether, you'll experience lasting joy.

Experiencing lasting joy

When we are young and insecure, passion or striving often manifest as looking ahead and craving external validation (becoming a champion or lawyer or millionaire or whatever).
If we gain wisdom, the energy of our passion and striving becomes less about achieving the goal and more about where you are on the journey at present. It is about having a richer experience of the present moment. With this as a focus, you are more likely to achieve success.

The richer experience

In our first book, Peak Performance , Steve and I wrote that setting a goal and then throwing your all into pursuing it is one of the best feelings there is. In our second book, The Passion Paradox , we warned about the dangers of obsessive passion, or becoming too focused on achieving an external goal.

Experiencing lasting joy

This Is the Right Way to Strive for Anything in Life

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