The Five C’s of Passion

Earlier this week I got to hear a former member of our photo club give a talk. It wasn’t just about photography though! Jackie exhibited passion for what she did, and a desire to fearlessly keep pushing forward. The items she discussed can be applied to anything in life and I’m stealing those points to show you how.

Consistent
You need to maintain consistency. This can refer to your writing, maintaining the right POV or keeping details straight. This can apply to an author, as each book should at least as good as the previous one and giving people what they expect. It can be for the speaker, who should deliver quality talks every time.

Creative
This may seem obvious, but there’s more to it than that. What is it about you that’s unique? Take a different approach to your story. Try something completely new when speaking. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Give people something other than the same old thing. Let the creativity in you flow and find your strengths.

Customer Driven
Not that the customer is always right, but give them what they want while still remembering you are the professional. Work with them, but don’t be afraid to say no, this is best. Your readers want the story to go this direction? Weigh the options and then make the best decision for all, including yourself.

Connections
We call it networking. Building a platform. But it’s not just a 1000 blog followers or 5000 Facebook friends - it’s making quality connections. It’s establishing and maintaining relationships - meaningful connections with writers, authors, speakers, publishers, etc. This builds loyalty and leads to referrals.

Candles
This is the best one! A candle can light another candle. As we learn, change, and grow, we gain knowledge and experience - and this can be passed on to others. Giving it away doesn’t diminish us - like the candle, we are still lit. We can now share and teach and help others. And they in turn can pass it on to even more people.

As I listened to Jackie, I realized our journeys were very similar. While I am still writing, I am now in the teaching mode, and it dawned on me how much that is my passion. That’s why I do seminars on publishing and promoting. That’s why I offer private consultation for writers. That’s why I format books for authors. That’s why I do motivational talks for businesses and colleges. THAT is my passion.

And spurred by Jackie’s talk, I redesigned my professional website to appear more dynamic and unique, which is something she also talked about - Spunk On A Stick


How about you? How can you apply the five C’s to your passion? What is your specific passion?