What are you passionate about?

PLAY THE BALL

In life, and as one gets older, there are plenty of opportunities to reflect on the traverse of life’s pathway. Recall can be both about challenges and celebrations that have cropped up or presented over time.

During my years there are many things at different times about which I’ve had passion and been passionate. I am often referred to by others as an educator who was “passionate“ about his job and working with people. Indeed, that was the part of the citation attached to my recent awarding of And Order of Australia Medal. In that context I don’t really think I taught thought too much about the word passionate for it was simply the way I did my job.

I have thought deeply about this particular question and wanted to reflect upon it as a phenomena or a principal that has been part of my life in all sorts of situations.

What I’ve come to is that I have undying passion for people in all situations To focus on “Issues” rather than m “people”. In other words to focus on “messages” rather than “messengers”.

In football parlance that translates as me having a desire to always “play the ball and not the man/woman“.

Far too often people who are managing organisations and undertaking tasks, pussyfoot around the edge of issues that need to be addressed. This often involves having a go at people who are relaying messages, in order to diffuse the message, its impact and also its importance.

Focus on the message is my focus, my practice and my expectation of others.