In Praise of Passion: Passion Makes People Happier: Study

Parenting Lab

Passion Makes People Happier: Study

Passion doesn't just make life easier. It makes life better.

And now that psychologists Robert J Vallerand and Geneviève L. Lavigne of the Université du Québec à Montréal have confirmed that passion makes people happier, we should be teaching our kids about the importance of figuring out what you are passionate about and making your passions part of your daily life.

So how do kids go about finding their passions?

In some cases, it's a matter of pure luck. A child slips on a pair of hockey skates and discovers that they feel as comfortable and natural as a pair of slippers. Or a child grows up with a passion for books and writing and assumes that everyone wants to write a book. (You'll have to guess which kid was me.)

In other cases, it takes some time for an activity or interest to find the kid. Your child may show little enthusiasm for anything you've ever signed him up for until the day he hands you a flyer and asks, "Can you sign me up for this?"

You may be shocked by what this is, having never heard your child mention this in his entire life. That's part of the fun of parenting: that element of surprise.

There's simply no way of predicting which passion will get matched up with which kid.

All you can do is gaze on in wonder and try to puzzle out which part of that choice was nature and which part (if any) was nurture.

It's a game parents have been playing since before we were kids and that they'll be playing long after we're gone.

So how does passion fit into your life? What are you passionate about -- and how do you find time for your passions? Have your kids identified their passions? What do you see as your role in helping them to find/identify their passions?

Passion to Go

According to psychologists Robert J Vallerand and Geneviève L. Lavigne of the Université du Québec à Montréal, remaining passionately engaged in life, via activities, helps us to feel good about ourselves as we age. The effect is particularly pronounced for men, who tend to stagnate and to struggle with self-acceptance and their purpose in life as they age. So if you'd like to be a fun, passionate older man (as opposed to his grumpier counterpart); or you'd like to be involved with this kind of man, you'd be wise to print out a copy of this article about passion, hang it on your refrigerator, and commit to becoming (or remaining) passionate. Life's too short to settle for ho-hum-ness, after all. You might as well ride the passion express the whole way through.

NEW!   You can now find The Mother of All on Facebook.

Comments

[Corrie]

Too True! I have always felt very lucky to have a passionate family. We are all very creative, so the house gets a bit messy (paint brushes everywhere), there is always background noise of my middle telling his stories ( he could very well be an author one day) and we have to be careful where we walk because we may trip over my 6 year old daughter dancing. I love it all very much!

[Ann Douglas]

Thanks for your comment, Corrie. Sounds like your home is a fun and joyful place.

[David Aldwinckle]

It's only natural to feel more alive when passion is involved.Some people take a long time,even a lifetime,to get passionate about something;some people become obsessed with their passions to the point that nothing else matters. Too much enthusiasm can be deadly too,if it tries to enlist others to 'join the club.'
Youth will choose its own directions whatever instructions they might be urged to follow.Time and freedom-not indifference-are the preliminaries necessary for a society's potential development.There's no such thing as a policy guaranteed to keep things exactly as they are or to radically change them.There will always be a clash of ethics when those who thrive on shortcuts and circumvention toss scruples into the neasest wastebasket.Keep up your own commendable efforts.