Inner Archaeology

The Purpose of Passion

You may have heard a Career Coach exhort someone to "follow your passions".  But what does that mean?  Just what is passion?

Merriam-Webster describes passion as:

• an intense, driving or overmastering conviction or feeling
• a strong liking, desire for, or devotion to an activity, object or concept

Simply put, a passion is an intense interest - an interest so strong that you cannot help but think about it, explore it, apply it, or involve yourself in it.  For example, I have a passion for history.  I daydream about it, watch programs about my favorite historical periods, rent movies that involve history, and read history regularly.  I'm even working on a novel about an historian who time travels back to the Middle Ages.

My husband, on the other hand, has a passion for comedy.  He watches comedy shows daily, studies comedic masters, and writes his own comedy.  He worked as a Clown for many years and now pursues his calling as a Christian Comedian.  He's also working on books that showcase his unique comedic perspective.

As a human being, you have many inbuilt interests "hard-wired" into your personality. Among these you will find some so strong that they cannot be denied.  These are your passions.  But what purpose do they serve?

Inner Archaeology: A Definition

Since I've dedicated this space to exploring Inner Archaeology, it is perhaps wise to begin by defining what this term means.  And to do that, I'd like to tell you a short story.

For many years I taught career development workshops for women with a local not-for-profit in Coumbus, Ohio (Center for New Directions, if you're a curious local).  In particular, I taught a three-Saturday workshop once a quarter that aimed to help women discover and explore their career options.  Every time I taught this workshop, I noticed that though people entered it claiming they had no idea what to do next with their worklives, there seemed to be themes and patterns running through their lives which spoke eloquently (to me at least) of their calling.  Yet these women, intelligent and self-aware though they may have been, could not perceive these themes and patterns.

To help these women see the patterns at work in their lives, I designed a series of reflective questions which I began to add into the class content.  Interestingly enough, I soon found that these reflective questions were more powerful in unveiling their calling than were the myriad assessments and evaluations that made up the "official" curriculum.  In time, I came to recognize that these women, and, indeed, all of the clients both male and female I have been honored to assist since, carried a series of patterns within them, which, when examined, pointed clearly toward their God-given calling.  Inner Archaeology was born!

Nowadays, I define Inner Archaeology rather simply.

Each of us was designed with certain inborn preferences that prefigure our God-given calling.  These preferences include our values, passions, gifts, and personality, each of which is an aspect of our soul.  During our childhood and adulthood, these preferences are covered over by the "dirt" of life:  unhappy and painful life experiences which diminish, mask, and bury our True Self.  By the time we reach midlife or beyond, we have accumulated a considerable quantity of inner "dirt" which must be penetrated in order to rediscover who we really are.  This process of digging within to find and follow our life patterns and uncover our inborn values, passions, gifts, and personality is like an archaeological dig:  We must excavate with care and respect to unveil the True Self.

The Power of Patience

This weekend I cooked and baked a variety of dishes I hadn't made in awhile.  And though pressed for time, I noticed something different in the way I related to the cooking and baking at hand.  Usually I cook or bake to get something done.  I'm results-oriented by nature, and am always anxious (literally) to get to the end of the process.

This time, though, I discovered an unusual quality in me:  patience.  As I stirred the ingredients of the hash brown casserole I was making, I found myself enjoying the way all the ingredients incorporated in the bowl.  Instead of rushing to add the next ingredient, I lingered over the incorporation process and delighted in noting how the color and texture of the dish altered as I followed each step of the recipe.  I found myself inspired by the way the sugars and egg combined in the chocolate chip cookie dough to form the basis for this transformative dough that would, with the addition of a few more ingredients and heat, become a rich, savory, and comforting dessert.

Tonight I find myself reflecting on the power of patience.  Patience makes room for the holy and allows it to work, if we are willing.  Patience honors creativity and gives it space to grow, if we permit.  Patience unveils God's will, if we allow.  Whether we practice patience in our decision making, in our cooking, in our relationships and communications, or in our spirituality, patience always adds a surprising element ... the presence of the Spirit of God.

Take this blog as an example.  I've been working on this project for well over a year that I know of, and probably much longer without realizing it.  Sometimes I'm tempted to quit everything else just so I can focus on this and get it done.  But that wouldn't honor the call at work here.  The call is not only for me to do this work, but to allow others to observe the Spirit's creative process at work - to watch something sacred unfold, as if we were peering into the womb while a baby is formed one cell at a time (which, by the way, we are!). 

So, my challenge is to add something new now and then, incorporate it fully, and note as mindfully as possible what impact each addition makes on the emerging whole ... and not to be in any hurry to rush onto the next ingredient.  Now if I can just remember that!