Unlock Endless Energy: The Energy Hack You've Been Missing
The importance of passion and purpose against fatigue and burnout
Have you ever felt empty, fatigued, and burnt out inside even though you can’t put the finger on an exact reason why that is so?
In this article, I’ll explore what I think is one of the most important factors that has a significant impact on our energy, well-being, and resilience against fatigue and burnout.
In our modern life, we often lose ourselves in the hustle and pursuits of achieving goals and the sense of fulfillment so much that we forget about the most important aspect that creates that boundless energy and vital well-being.
In my opinion, one of the most important pillars for vigorous energy, revitalizing well-being, and resilience against fatigue and burnout is what I call “Vital Energy”.
Vital Energy is the kind of energy written with a capital “E” that can’t be seen and measured, but it is extremely important for us and our well-being.
Vital Energy is generated and created when we engage in things and activities for which we feel a strong sense of passion and purpose. It’s the energy that we get when we help other people and give back to the world, when we’re spiritually aligned, when cultivate spiritual fitness and spiritual connection to something greater, and when we live a life that is meant for us.
There are many components that contribute to Vital Energy, but in this newsletter, I’ll focus on two crucial ones: Passion and Purpose.
The Importance of Passion and Purpose
Let’s first define what “passion” and “purpose” are.
Passion embodies an intense enthusiasm and eagerness that makes us “light up” and ignites our souls. It's the driving force that fuels our interests, pushing us forward in life and beyond the daily challenges. When we experience passion, this emotion evokes a deep sense of joy and fulfillment in what we do.
Purpose, on the other hand, is the compass that guides our actions. It's the "why" behind our endeavors, the profound reason that gives our existence direction and meaning. Having a clear sense of purpose aligns our actions with our values and beliefs, providing a sense of fulfillment and significance.
You can think of passion as the inner fire that pushes us forward, whereas purpose is the force that pulls us forward.
There are several reasons why passion and purpose are so important in many aspects of our lives.
When passion and purpose fuse together, they become a dynamic duo, unleashing a reservoir of energy and well-being within us. Passion serves as the catalyst, infusing our endeavors with enthusiasm to push through challenges, and transform obstacles into opportunities for growth. Purpose, meanwhile, acts as a stabilizing force, grounding us in our pursuits, and offering clarity amid uncertainty.
This synergy transmits our professional lives and permeates every facet of our being. When we engage in activities that resonate with our passions and align with our purpose, our energy levels and well-being soar. We feel light, invigorated, full of inner fire, and driven.
Even though those activities require some energy from us like any doing other thing, that energy that we put into those activities circles back to us and fills us up, so we don’t end up with a negative energy balance like we would otherwise.
That’s why when we do things with joy, a sense of passion, and purpose we feel like we’re not even using any energy but we feel even more full and energized afterwards.
Studies also show that having a strong sense of purpose and mission lowers life stress, anxiety, and even depression. It’s like Nietzsche's quote:
When we have a strong sense of mission and purpose and we have a strong why and reason to live for, it’s much easier to overcome any struggle we face and we feel empowered to overcome anything.
Passion and Purpose In My Own Life
One of the most important aspects of my overall energy and well-being is doing things that bring me a sense of joy, passion, purpose, and fulfillment, working towards an important and ambitious goal, and pursuing the vision of my life.
Along my fatigue and burnout journey, I began to notice that there was a significant shift and improvement in my energy, general health, well-being, and symptoms of fatigue and burnout when I was “harnessing” and taking advantage of the power of passion and purpose.
Looking back at my past life, the times when I felt best was when I was working on things that really made me happy and I felt a strong sense of purpose and mission: I felt that I was on the right track and that doing what I was meant to be doing. During those times, even though I worked a lot, there were no signs of fatigue and burnout and I always had the feeling that I could do everything and I felt great. Sure, I got tired, but not to the point of feeling fatigued or burnt out.
Now every time I’m doing things that I feel a lot of passion and purpose for or working towards an important goal, I get reminded of how important it is for me.
It’s interesting: even though I’m working more, there’s no sign of burnout. Quite the opposite: I feel great, I’m happier, I feel less stressed, I have energy that I didn’t know I had in me and I have the feeling that I can do everything.
I believe it’s because the energy that we give into the activities that we feel joy, passion, and purpose circles back to us, fills us up, gives us fuel, and pushes us forward.
When I’m in that state of fused passion and purpose, I feel that inner fire of passion pushing me forward and purpose pulling me forward which generates boundless energy and vital well-being. It’s a really beautiful state to be in!
However, when there is no such joy, sense of purpose, and mission in our lives, various problems can often occur: fatigue, lethargy, apathy, and also problems with fatigue and burnout.
That’s certainly the case for me: once I achieve the goals and visions that were pushing me and pulling me forward and providing me with energy and well-being, I slowly go back to my “old self”: I go back to feeling the usual, back to my old problems with burnout and fatigue.
How To Discover and Cultivate Passion and Purpose
Discovering one's passion and purpose is a journey unique to each individual - It requires introspection, exploration, and embracing the process.
Reflecting on what brings you joy, what sparks the light and fire within you, and what drives a sense of fulfillment for you are all great starting points for discovering your unique passion and purpose in life.
The next key step is exploration: don’t be afraid to try new experiences and delve into new activities. Only by exploring and paying attention to what resonates deeply within us can we discover our passions and purpose in life.
Also, be patient. The quest to uncover passion and purpose is an ongoing process, evolving as we grow and evolve ourselves.
Passion and purpose are also not destinations but rather a journey. It’s a continuous evolution that shapes our lives: what you were once passionate about and felt purpose for, might not be the same as today, and what today is, might not be in the future. But the goal remains the same: leading a life fueled by the synergy of passion and fulfillment.
Chances are that you already know deep within you what you’re passionate about and what brings you a sense of purpose - in that case, you have to push against the fear and resistance that are preventing you from living the life full of boundless energy and vital well-being.
Vital Energy will be one of the central points of my upcoming course about fatigue mastery.
In the 4th module of the course, we’ll focus on the realm of the soul and the spiritual plane. We’ll take a closer look at how to create more Vital Energy in our daily lives and how to discover our true passion and purpose to master fatigue, raise energy, and improve our general well-being.
If you’re interested in the course and called to join it, check out more about it in the newsletter below, comment “Interested!” below, or reply to this email.
