“
Your passions don’t have to connect to one another and no one needs to sign off on them. Passion isn’t logical… it’s only the fuel which keeps our souls alive. Let it be that simple.
”
”
Jennifer Elisabeth (Born Ready: Unleash Your Inner Dream Girl)
“
Passion is the fuel in the engine of your purpose. It’s your “want-to.” It’s what keeps you going when mundane tasks bore you or difficult ones dissuade you. Passion is what keeps you moving in the direction your best intentions want you to go.
”
”
Priscilla Shirer (Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer)
“
Pain is the fuel of passion — it energizes us with an intensity to change that we don’t normally possess.
”
”
Anonymous (The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?)
“
Lord Jesus, I am in awe and wonder of who You are. I want to know more about You. I want to see more sides of You. Enlighten my mind to see a new side of Your holiness today. As I seek Your face, fuel my heart with passion and give me the strength to bypass my enemies to fulfill the purpose You have given me. Thank You, God, for bringing meaning to my life.
”
”
Sadie Robertson (Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion, and Purpose)
“
There are two powerful fuels, two forces; motivation and inspiration. To be motivated you need to know what your motives are. Over time - and to sustain you through it - your motivation must become an inner energy; a 'motor' driving you forward, passionately, purposefully, wisely and compassionately... come what may, every day. Inspiration is an outer - worldly - energy that you breathe and draw in. It may come from many places, faces, spaces and stages - right across the ages. It is where nature, spirit, science, mind and time meet, dance, play and speak. It keeps you outward facing and life embracing. But you must be open-minded and open-hearted to first let it in and then let it out again. Together - blended, combined and re-entwined - motivation and inspiration bring connectivity, productivity, creativity and boundless possibilities that is not just 'self' serving but enriching to all humanity and societies...just as it should be.
”
”
Rasheed Ogunlaru
“
Her vibrancy had returned, perhaps sparked by a sense of purpose, and Dennis and I got to see her in her full glory, a little dog who resembled a cute soufflé but was fueled by a fiery passion.
”
”
Kira Jane Buxton (Hollow Kingdom (Hollow Kingdom #1))
“
Success is the result of consistent action, fueled by passion and guided by purpose. It's not about being the best, but about being better than you were yesterday. So strive for progress, not perfection, and trust the process, for the journey is just as important as the destination.
”
”
hani hakkam
“
Passion is like the petrol that fuels the car. On the other hand, our purpose is the direction the vehicle is going.
”
”
Debbie Haski-Leventhal
“
The duty of doing what you love fuels a fuller sense of being.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita
“
There is a dark side to religious devotion that is too often ignored or denied. As a means of motivating people to be cruel or inhumane -- as a means of inciting evil, to borrow the vocabulary of the devout -- there may be no more potent force than religion. When the subject of religiously inspired bloodshed comes up, many Americans immediately think of Islamic fundamentalism, which is to be expected in the wake of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. But men have been committing heinous acts in the name of God ever since mankind began believing in deities, and extremists exist within all religions. Muhammad is not the only prophet whose words have been used to sanction barbarism; history has not lacked for Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and even Buddhists who have been motivated by scripture to butcher innocents. Plenty of these religious extremists have been homegrown, corn-fed Americans.
Faith-based violence was present long before Osama bin Laden, and it ill be with us long after his demise. Religious zealots like bin Laden, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Shoko Asahara, and Dan Lafferty are common to every age, just as zealots of other stripes are. In any human endeavor, some fraction of its practitioners will be motivated to pursue that activity with such concentrated focus and unalloyed passion that it will consume them utterly. One has to look no further than individuals who feel compelled to devote their lives to becoming concert pianists, say, or climbing Mount Everest. For some, the province of the extreme holds an allure that's irresistible. And a certain percentage of such fanatics will inevitably fixate on the matters of the spirit.
The zealot may be outwardly motivated by the anticipation of a great reward at the other end -- wealth, fame, eternal salvation -- but the real recompense is probably the obsession itself. This is no less true for the religious fanatic than for the fanatical pianist or fanatical mountain climber. As a result of his (or her) infatuation, existence overflows with purpose. Ambiguity vanishes from the fanatic's worldview; a narcissistic sense of self-assurance displaces all doubt. A delicious rage quickens his pulse, fueled by the sins and shortcomings of lesser mortals, who are soiling the world wherever he looks. His perspective narrows until the last remnants of proportion are shed from his life. Through immoderation, he experiences something akin to rapture.
Although the far territory of the extreme can exert an intoxicating pull on susceptible individuals of all bents, extremism seems to be especially prevalent among those inclined by temperament or upbringing toward religious pursuits. Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a crucial component of spiritual devotion. And when religious fanaticism supplants ratiocination, all bets are suddenly off. Anything can happen. Absolutely anything. Common sense is no match for the voice of God...
”
”
Jon Krakauer (Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith)
“
Pain is the fuel of passion — it energizes us with an intensity to change that we don’t normally possess. C. S. Lewis said, “Pain is God’s megaphone.” It is God’s way of arousing us from spiritual lethargy. Your problems are not punishment; they are wake-up calls from a loving God. God is not mad at you; he’s mad about you, and he will do whatever it takes to bring you back into fellowship with him.
”
”
Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?)
“
You may have been passionate about God in the past but you’ve lost that desire. That was the problem of the Christians in Ephesus — they had left their first love. They did all the right things, but out of duty, not love. If you have just been going through the motions spiritually, don’t be surprised when God allows pain in your life. Pain is the fuel of passion — it energizes us with an intensity to change that we don’t normally possess. C. S. Lewis said, “Pain is God’s megaphone.
”
”
Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?)
“
If you have just been going through the motions spiritually, don’t be surprised when God allows pain in your life. Pain is the fuel of passion — it energizes us with an intensity to change that we don’t normally possess. C. S. Lewis said, “Pain is God’s megaphone.” It is God’s way of arousing us from spiritual lethargy. Your problems are not punishment; they are wake-up calls from a loving God. God is not mad at you; he’s mad about you, and he will do whatever it takes to bring you back into fellowship with him.
”
”
Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?)
“
There is nothing that the media could say to me that would justify the way they’ve acted. You can hound me. You can follow me, but in no way should you frighten those around me. To harm my wife and potentially harm my daughter—there is no excuse that could put any of you on the right side of morality. I met Rose when I was fifteen and she was fourteen, and through what she would call fate and I’d call circumstance of our hobbies, we’d cross paths dozens of times over the course of a decade. At seventeen, I attended the same national Model UN conference as Rose, and a delegate for Greenland locked us in a janitorial closet. He also stole our phones. He had to beat us dishonorably because he couldn’t beat us any other way. Rose said being locked in a confined space with me was the worst two hours of her life" They look bemused, brows furrowing. I can’t help but smile.
“You’re confused because you don’t know whether she was exaggerating or whether she was being truthful. But the truth is that we are complex people with the ability to love to hate and to hate to love, and I wouldn’t trade her for any other person. So that day, stuck beside mops and dirtied towels, I could’ve picked the lock five minutes in and let her go. Instead, I purposefully spent two hours with a girl who wore passion like a dress made of diamonds and hair made of flames. Every day of my life, I am enamored. Every day of my life, I am bewitched. And every day of my life, I spend it with her.”
My chest swells with more power, lifting me higher.
“I’ve slept with many different kinds of people, and yes, the three that spoke to the press are among them. Rose is the only person I’ve ever loved, and through that love, we married and started a family. There is no other meaning behind this, and for you to conjure one is nothing less than a malicious attack against my marriage and my child. Anything else has no relevance. I can’t be what you need me to be. So you’ll have to accept this version or waste your time questioning something that has no answer. I know acceptance isn’t easy when you’re unsure of what you’re accepting, but all I can say is that you’re accepting me as me. I leave them with a quote from Sylvia Plath.
“‘I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart.’” My lips pull higher, into a livelier smile. “‘I am, I am, I am.’”
With this, I step away from the podium, and I exit to a cacophony of journalists shouting and asking me to clarify.
Adapt to me.
I’m satisfied, more than I even predicted.
Some people will rewind this conference on their television, to listen closely and try to understand me. I don’t need their understanding, but my daughter will—and I hope the minds of her peers are wide open with vibrant hues of passion.
I hope they all paint the world with color.
”
”
Krista Ritchie (Fuel the Fire (Calloway Sisters #3))
“
This is what makes the unexamined life so dangerous. We think we are living life to the fullest but we aren’t. Instead, we are often trading long-term purpose for short-term pleasure. When we eat unhealthily, we miss an opportunity to fuel our bodies properly. When we watch too much TV or spend too much time online, we miss opportunities to interact with people in the real world. When we neglect to exercise, we miss the opportunity to enjoy the kinds of adventures available to those with physical stamina. When we stay up late and sleep through the morning, we may be missing out on the most productive period of our day. When we buy more than we need, we miss the opportunity to live free and unburdened. When we spend more than we earn, we shackle ourselves with bondage to debt. When we spend too much money on ourselves, we miss the opportunity to find greater joy by being generous to others. The way to avoid these kinds of mistakes is to live intentionally. That is, we examine our options and make choices with larger purposes and longer-term goals in mind. If an activity, a decision, or a habit is not bringing us closer to our purpose and passion, then we should remove it. Because most of the time it is only distracting us from what really matters.
”
”
Joshua Becker (The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own)
“
Commitment is what transforms
a dream into reality.
One percent or ninety-nine percent complete are both incomplete.
Wanting is wishing or dreaming. Deciding is the willingness to do whatever it takes to make your wishes and dreams come true.
Pondering on what you are going to do actually sucks up more time and energy than going out there and doing it.
If you’re planted in an environment with depleted soil loaded with weeds, your conditions must change in order for you grow and thrive.
As you change your circle of influence, your thinking changes, and ultimately your world changes too.
When you are too busy trying to outshine others, you miss out on your own inner spark.
If your focus is on competing with others, you cannot complete you.
Perfection is a myth, a misconception, and just an opinion.
A well-tailored business suit might look perfect to a banker, but deemed to be dreadful to a heavy metal rocker.
Going out of your comfort zone might be gut-wrenching, but dying with the music still inside is even more painful.
Stagnation drains your energy and slowly sucks the life out of you.
When you declutter your mental space, just like clearing out physical space, you find valuables you had long forgotten about.
Keeping emotional toxin in your head is like fertilizing unwanted weeds.
Positivity is your weed killer.
Turn it around, and let that poison fuel your passion, just like farmers using manure to fertilize plants.
Like eating, going to the bathroom, or exercising, self-transformation cannot be delegated.
I was a sunflower trying to survive and grow in a stinky muddy swamp, but instead being strangled by a bunch of weeds.
”
”
Megan Chan
“
Passion and purpose scale—always have, always will. Every movement, every revolution, is proof of this fact. Plus, doing anything big and bold is difficult, and at two in the morning for the fifth night in a row, when you need to keep going, you’re only going to fuel yourself from deep within. You’re not going to push ahead when it’s someone else’s mission. It needs to be yours.
”
”
Peter H. Diamandis (Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World (Exponential Technology Series))
“
You must first move from mediocrity to relevance in the realm of your dream, before it can translate into a driving passion that fuels your success. There are no impossibilities in a dream, there are no figures that are too big or obstacles that are unscalable, no distances too far or expertise considered too small – there is unlimited possibility in a dream. Your dream must be bigger than you and inspiring enough to outlive you.
”
”
Archibald Marwizi (Making Success Deliberate)
“
Think of yourself as being a car and passion is the fuel. The more you have the further you’ll go-and without it you go nowhere! The gas stations are books, workshops, seminars, influential people and anything else that can inspire you to take action. Keep filling yourself up and you will keep moving towards your goal. Now on the other hand the fuel drainers are things like: negative people, bad diets, unfulfilling working conditions, garbage movies/music and basically anything that doesn’t produce value for your life. You want to stay far away from these drainers especially if you are PurposeSearching. Chapter
”
”
Rob Howze (Purpose Search: The 4 Keys to unlocking and unleashing your purpose)
“
I believe that the meaning of life is to live a life of meaning.
”
”
Ken Steven (Dream Job Discovery – How to Find a Job That Fuels Your Passion and Inspires Your Purpose (Even If You Don't Know Your Passion or Purpose))
“
I envision a world where everyone eagerly embraces their work, feeling passionate and purpose-driven by what they do.
”
”
Ken Steven (Dream Job Discovery – How to Find a Job That Fuels Your Passion and Inspires Your Purpose (Even If You Don't Know Your Passion or Purpose))
“
Most of us get decked somewhere along the way in life, slammed to the ground, the world looking down on us. And when—not if, when—that happens, we have a choice. Do we get back up? And when it happens again, do we get back up again? And again, and again, and again, and again? When I’m feeling clobbered by events, pounded by setbacks, or just flat-out exhausted from dealing with my own mistakes, I think of Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, and Tommy Caldwell. Not persisting in a grim manner, full of endless suffering, but joyfully and gratefully persisting, fueled by passionately pursuing purposeful work.
”
”
Jim Collins (BE 2.0 (Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0): Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company)
“
It isn’t true to say we had no special advantages. The greatest thing in our favor was growing up in a family where there was always much encouragement to intellectual curiosity
”
”
Patrick J. Sweeney II (Fear Is Fuel: The Surprising Power to Help You Find Purpose, Passion, and Performance)
“
The best startups are built on a foundation of purpose, fueled by passion, and driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence.
”
”
Justin Ho Guo Shun (The Art and Science of Startup)
“
Embrace the power of silence, where purposeful steps echo with a symphony of meaning. Forge a sacred circle united by unwavering support and shared values, propelling each other to extraordinary heights. Amidst life's pursuit of serenity, let resounding prayers shake the heavens, fueled by the cadence of your soul's passion. Within the depths of your heart, unleash boundless joy, igniting a radiant blaze that transforms every endeavor into awe-inspiring feats, leaving the world breathless and forever inspired.
”
”
Emmanuel Apetsi
“
Purpose is your vehicle which is fueled by your passion.
”
”
Amy L. Rosner
“
Unconditional love is the energy of life and the fire of passion. Let it fuel your days and spark your purpose. This is our one precious life in these particular bodies. Be open. Be fierce. Embrace. Enjoy. Experience. Express. And let love be your guiding light.
”
”
Camille Lucy (The (Real) Love Experiment: Explore Love, Relationships & The Self)
“
PASSIONS FUEL LIFE! -FRB
”
”
Frederica Burrage (Not One Ten Passions: Priorities That Matter)
“
My favourite quotes, Part Two
-- from Michael Connelly's "Harry Bosch" series
The Black Box
On Bosch’s first call to Henrik, the twin brother of Anneke -
Henrik: "I am happy to talk now. Please, go ahead.”
“Thank you. I, uh, first want to say as I said in my email that the investigation of your sister’s death is high priority. I am actively working on it. Though it was twenty years ago, I’m sure your sister’s death is something that hurts till this day. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, Detective. She was very beautiful and very excited about things. I miss her very much.”
“I’m sure you do.”
Over the years, Bosch had talked to many people who had lost loved ones to violence. There were too many to count but it never got any easier and his empathy never withered.
The Burning Room 2
Grace was a young saxophonist with a powerful sound. She also sang.
The song was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and she produced a sound from the horn that no human voice could ever touch. It was plaintive and sad but it came with an undeniable wave of underlying hope.
It made Bosch think that there was still a chance for him, that he could still find whatever it was he was looking for, no matter how short his time was.
----------------
He grabbed his briefcase off his chair and walked toward the exit door. Before he got there, he heard someone clapping behind him. He turned back and saw it was Soto, standing by her desk. Soon Tim Marcia rose up from his cubicle and started to clap. Then Mitzi Roberts did the same and then the other detectives. Bosch put his back against the door, ready to push through. He nodded his thanks and held his fist up at chest level and shook it. He then went through the door and was gone.
The Burning Room 3
“What do you want to know, Bosch?”
Harry nodded. His instinct was right. The good ones all had that hollow space inside. The empty place where the fire always burns. For something. Call it justice. Call it the need to know. Call it the need to believe that those who are evil will not remain hidden in darkness forever.
At the end of the day Rodriguez was a good cop and he wanted what Bosch wanted. He could not remain angry and mute if it might cost Orlando Merced his due.
------------
“I have waited twenty years for this phone call . . . and all this time I thought it would go away. I knew I would always be sad for my sister. But I thought the other would go away.”
“What is the other, Henrik?” Though he knew the answer.
“Anger . . . I am still angry, Detective Bosch.”
Bosch nodded. He looked down at his desk, at the photos of all the victims under the glass top. Cases and faces. His eyes moved from the photo of Anneke Jespersen to some of the others. The ones he had not yet spoken for.
“So am I, Henrik,” he said. “So am I.”
Angle of Investigation
1972
They were heading south on Vermont through territory unfamiliar to him. It was only his second day with Eckersly and his second on the job.
Now
He knew that passion was a key element in any investigation. Passion was the fuel that kept his fire burning. So he purposely sought the personal connection or, short of that, the personal outrage in every case. It kept him locked in and focused. But it wasn’t the Laura syndrome. It wasn’t the same as falling in love with a dead woman. By no means was Bosch in love with June Wilkins. He was in love with the idea of reaching back across time and catching the man who had killed her.
The Scarecrow
At one time the newsroom was the best place in the world to work. A bustling place of camaraderie, competition, gossip, cynical wit and humor, it was at the crossroads of ideas and debate. It produced stories and pages that were vibrant and intelligent, that set the agenda for what was discussed and considered important in a city as diverse and exciting as Los Angeles.
”
”
Michael Connelly
“
A 20/20 mindset eradicates any source of fear, doubt, and uncertainty. It produces a balanced life in which you are living your purpose and being fueled with your passion. You are connected directly to the source of greatness. Success is then a graceful gift.
”
”
Farshad Asl (The "No Excuses" Mindset: A Life of Purpose, Passion, and Clarity)
“
When you find your passion, you find your joy, and when you share your passion, you find your purpose.
”
”
Ken Steven (Dream Job Discovery – How to Find a Job That Fuels Your Passion and Inspires Your Purpose (Even If You Don't Know Your Passion or Purpose))
“
If you want lasting happiness in your life, the single most important thing is to find a job you love to do.
”
”
Ken Steven (Dream Job Discovery – How to Find a Job That Fuels Your Passion and Inspires Your Purpose (Even If You Don't Know Your Passion or Purpose))
“
Hope is the fire that fuels our passions.
Purpose makes our life authentic and meaningful.
&
Courage is seeing the world for how it really is.
”
”
Shawn Stern
“
He knew that passion was a key element in any investigation. Passion was the fuel that kept his fire burning. So he purposely sought the personal connection or, short of that, the personal outrage in every case. It kept him locked in and focused. But it wasn’t the Laura syndrome. It wasn’t the same as falling in love with a dead woman. By no means was Bosch in love with June Wilkins. He was in love with the idea of reaching back across time and catching the man who had killed her.
”
”
Michael Connelly (Angle of Investigation (Harry Bosch, #14.7; Harry Bosch Universe, #23.5))
“
Passion fuels the vision and purpose provides the action for success
”
”
Gez Perez
“
The purpose of your sensuality is to fuel the imagination.
”
”
Lebo Grand
“
So what’s his secret? Musk has a few, but none are more important to him than passion and purpose. “I didn’t go into the rocket business, the car business, or the solar business thinking this is a great opportunity. I just thought, in order to make a difference, something needed to be done. I wanted to have an impact. I wanted to create something substantially better than what came before.” Musk, like every entrepreneur in this chapter, is driven by passion and purpose. Why? Passion and purpose scale—always have, always will. Every movement, every revolution, is proof of this fact. Plus, doing anything big and bold is difficult, and at two in the morning for the fifth night in a row, when you need to keep going, you’re only going to fuel yourself from deep within. You’re not going to push ahead when it’s someone else’s mission. It needs to be yours.
”
”
Peter H. Diamandis (Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World (Exponential Technology Series))
“
A person's passion is the fuel that drives their purpose.
”
”
Laurie Buchanan
“
Passion is the secret ingredient to successful thinking. It’s the fuel and it’s the food on which successful behaviour feeds.
”
”
Bernardo Moya (The Question: Find Your True Purpose)
“
To help others see their own paths, spark the fuel of their personal passions.
”
”
Chris Hutchinson (Ripple: A Field Manual for Leadership that Works)
“
Except for the financially desperate, people do not work for money alone. What also fuels their passion for work is a larger sense of purpose or passion. Given the opportunity, people gravitate to what gives them meaning, to what engages to the fullest their commitment, talent, energy, and skill.
”
”
Daniel Goleman (Working with Emotional Intelligence)
“
We armed ourselves with pistols, shotguns, and assault rifles.
We knew that the government had us impossibly outgunned but nevertheless felt obliged to not only prepare ourselves for the upcoming collapse of society as we had known it, but also to do whatever it took to speed the day when that collapse occurred.
The government was illegitimate; a puppet regime manipulated by a shadowy and sinister force that was hellbent on our destruction. The supposed democracy that seated traitorous politicians had been tainted by mass media that poisoned the minds and souls of our people to not only blind them against what was happening, but also to con them into complicity in their own downfall.
Our guns served many purposes. In addition to the simple purpose they were designed for-to kill people-our firearms endowed with us a sense of destiny befitting an epic struggle against fearsome odds.
The deadly seriousness of the situation was underlined, italicized, and emboldened by the smell of gun oil and the clack of magazines sliding into position as we recruited new soldiers into our movement. According to the founding Fathers, it was not only our right, but our duty to bear arms against the tyrants who had usurped our beloved nation.
I spent 7 years immersed in that world. A reality where I was constantly looking over my shoulder to reveal the handiwork of the enemy. Every aspect of our culture faced a relentless assault. Everything that was good about America-Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit of Happiness-had been denigrated and disparaged by those that sought to impose Marxist equality. I hated them for that. I hated them with the passion of a patriot. That hate was fueled by what I truly believed was a love for my race.
Oops! Did I say "race?" I meant a love for my country, Or was it a love of Christ? Or Allah? It could have been any of a number of allegiances-any number of ways to identify myself-that I built walls around and bristled at those outside, and it was all in the name of love.
Roads to a lot of really bad places are paved with that kind of bizarro love. A vampiric, soul-depleting love-substitute that beckons to those who never know the real thing.
I was very lucky to realize the true love of a little girl-my daughter-otherwise I'd likely be dead or in prison like so many of my former comrades. Simply by playing with other children, she taught me that the walls and guns and hate that had seemed to give me purpose were in fact unnecessary constructs that threatened to separate us. The children she shared toys, laughs, and smiles with also shared the same need for love and compassion that we all do-regardless of the color of our skin, our family's choice of spirituality, or the part of the world we come from.
I made a decision to cast aside the fear that masqueraded as love, and to live my life in wonderful affection for diversity instead of scorn for it.
”
”
Arno Michaelis (My Life After Hate)