It was 4am...

When I woke up thinking about the popular movements across the Middle East. I also thought about Valentine's Day and love. From where does the desire for something new, something better arise? What motivates us to take risks, to challenge authority? What causes us to fall in love and then against all odds to remain in love?

Two years ago I learned about the etymology of the word Passion. The Latin root of passion is to suffer. So when we say we are passionate about an ideal, a movement, a sport, an art form, a group of people or a person it is possible to also say we suffer for them.

We wrestle with our passions, think about them, and learn from them. Ideally, our passions help us to grow and mature. Passion in this sense is a radical concept because part of our brain is wired to fight against or run from any possible threats we encounter. This reflex exists to prevent us from experiencing pain. At the same time it is contrary to passionate action.

The fight or flight response might be the best immediate option but in the long term it will either harm our relationships or prevent us from developing our gifts. When we are truly in the throes of passion, we are choosing a third option. What our instincts label as a threat due to fear, we accept as ultimately beneficial due to love.

Therefore, be radical. Be passionate. Neither run nor lash out. Rather choose the third option and suffer for what you love. This is how the world is changed.

TLDR; No pain, no gain.