Keeping the Fire Lit

Monday, May 3, 2010 | 9:57 a.m.

I had lunch with a close friend the other day. He was feeling down as he had to fire a number of employees over the past month. The public entity, for which he works, is under tremendous pressure to cut its budget and with union contracts in place, there is no mechanism agreeable to the union to reduce salaries to keep people working. The past few months have aged him by years. The stress of dealing with the budget has taken a tremendous toll on him.

The economy has placed a number of people in positions that they never expected. Many of us have had to learn to deal with a type of adversity we had never seen before in our careers. People have lost jobs, homes, and chances at retirement.

But even with this adversity, we cannot afford to lose our passion--the reason, beyond money and benefits, that we work. I’ve talked to many colleagues across the U.S. who seem to have lost their drive, and their internal fire needs to be re-lit.

Back to my friend. He seems completely drained. He was one of the most passionate individuals I have ever met and over lunch, I realized that his internal fire had almost been extinguished. But I know, deep down inside of him, there must still be a spark, a little kindling, and a desire to light the fire again. But how? That is the question. Here are some things I think can help one stay passionate during times of adversity.

Focus on the things you still love. Even when we need to do a number of things that we don’t want to do, or that don’t bring us joy, there are still many things that we love to do. It may be hard to see them when you are buried deep in the forest, but try to figure out what they are and focus on them a little every day. For instance, even though you may be dealing with budget cuts, employee issues, etc., you probably still enjoy portions of your core job, for instance, writing proposals or agreements. Try to schedule some of those activities every day, maybe first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. Use these pleasurable tasks as reward for tackling the tough issues during the middle of the day. Sometimes opportunities arise out of adversity. For instance, I know a school administrator who, because of budget cuts, has the opportunity to teach a class--this is one area where she is passionate and grateful to have the opportunity again.

Find a person within whom you can confide. Every one of us, whether we recognize it or not, needs to be able to confide in someone. Figure out who you are most comfortable talking to about how you are feeling. Engage that person by asking them just to listen, to interject where they are compelled, but not to try to suggest solutions or alternatives to your problem. Their role is to let you talk it through, to let you know they are listening, and that they care. That’s it. Most people need to talk through issues and by doing so, they uncover potential solutions or at least open up possibilities for future exploration.

Find a creative outlet without an expected outcome. Many people with whom I have recently talked have taken up hobbies or resurrected things that they used to enjoy doing such as camping, hiking, playing an instrument, singing, or writing. Some have taken up cooking or sewing as their outlet. The important thing is that it provides respite from the day-to-day travails and allows them to reconnect with something different from their core jobs or tasks without providing additional responsibility.

Reflect upon the good times to keep your “attitude of gratitude” alive. There are so many good things happening in our lives, but when we are dealing with issues or are doing something we don’t want to do, it is difficult to see them. Try reflecting upon some of those good times each day. Most of us are really lucky in spite of what we might think. Finding time to adjust your attitude will go a long way.

Even though the fire within us might dwindle down to a flicker, I’m sure the fire still exists. It is up to each one of us to find ways to keep our passions burning brightly.

Until next time…

Craig