I've been a Bboy (breakdancer for the uninitiated) for over ten years now.
And you know something?
I'm not the best.
Among my friends I'm one of the only few who have yet to win a competition on my own. I don't have trophies or medals to show off. You also can't find many YouTube videos of me.
And admittedly, I'm not as good as I want to be. In the past decade I've made a ton of excuses which held me back from my full potential as a Bboy.
But that's okay.
I'm perfectly fine with not being the best.
It took me a while, but I actually had to do a little soul-searching to be at peace with my passion.
Cliché as it is, the answers were under my nose all along. I could have been a better dancer and a happier person from Day 1 had I realized what passion truly is about sooner.
There are many cultural intricacies and historical elements to Bboying, but I'll keep it general so you can relate to it.
Passion is a force for creation, which is art coming alive
I personally believe that every kind of passion is expression. It is a form of art in which you're constantly creating new things.
For me, I create new movements with my body according to the music.
That means no one can be a judge of what I do and tell me what is right or wrong (beyond learning the basics of course.)
I do it my own way and it makes me feel good about myself.
So when you indulge in your passion, push yourself to learn as much as you can, but also remember to feel good as you create whatever it is you get to create.
Besides, what is passion if doesn't even make you feel good?
A competition is only a competition at the end of the day
Maybe this point is a little tricky, but yes, a competition is only a competition. It is a fixed environment where rules are set and how "good" you are is up to the judges.
I think that competition is good, but one needs to know where to draw the line between pushing yourself towards excellence and remembering why you started this passion in your life.
I don't think you find passion.
You feel it. It came to you and made you feel that life has meaning.
That is your passion's Why.
Never forget that. Don't get lost in competing with others to the point that you're constantly stressed out and pressured until you're plain unhappy.
Let passion spill over into your everyday life and create an identity for you
I find that in many passions, be it dance, art or sports, people limit themselves to thinking that it's about being good at it or winning to attain glory for others to see.
As mentioned, I may not be the best and win competitions like my friends do, but I'm extremely proud of myself for being a Bboy.
Bboying is part of Hip Hop and to summarize, it's a lifestyle of peace, love, unity and having fun.
And I'm easily identified with all of that as I do what I love now (quit my job to be a writer and dance almost every day) and also share with everyone my story and inspire them with it.
I don't need trophies or medals. I already have friends giving me that shocked looked as they go, "Wow you're still at it?! And you quit your job to do write?! Dude!"
So let passion seep into your life. Be proud of it. Share your story and inspire others. That alone speaks more than competitive victories.
The universe is always in perfect timing with your passion
But I'd admit. It did bother me that I wasn't as good as my friends.
I was always very demoralized as I thought that I sucked or wasn't cut out to be a Bboy.
That was about 8 years ago. Today, I'm 29.
Maybe I was meant to suck so I'd always be driven. Maybe I was placed among more skilful friends on purpose. Maybe I'm truly not meant to be the best.
But whatever it is, I'm so happy and proud of who I am today.
What really drives me now is to keep writing, make a name for myself, make good money and then travel the world to meet other Bboys. And I've done that already in a neighbouring country here in South East Asia!
I'm also in a little surprised at myself that I've been at this challenging journey for so long, but when I realized that my grand vision as a writer coincided with my passion for Bboying, it just sort of clicked.
Everything went into place! Who cares if others think 29 is too old?
I've seen other gifted dancers quit at their peak before and my guess is that they got tired of it because they got everything they aimed for too early.
Not me.
The universe truly will give you what you want. As long as you're passionate about it and keep on wanting to be better, things will fall into place.
I hope this little article helps!
Remember, you feel passion. It's a feeling. Winning, getting good or being the best are just bonus side effects.
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Alden Tan is both a passionate writer and Bboy. He writes honest and real stories at his blog all the time. Check out his free book, 12 Things Happy People Don't Give a F**k About!The post 4 Ways Passion Breeds Happiness appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.