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The Passion Plan
by Richard Chang

This book teaches one how to live with passion. I find it more practical and reasonable than some other books which exhorts you to go after your passions and follow your heart, without mentioning how it can be reconciled to one's present reality. Instead, this author suggests that you temper your passions with reason. (Of course, how much to tradeoff is something more difficult to ascertain). Its core idea lies in this equation:
Heart + Head => Profit ( Start from the heart and then using reason to determine the best outlet for your passion results in Profit ).

"Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul.
If either your sails or your rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas,
For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.
Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion, that it may sing;
And let it direct your passion with reason that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes."- Khalil Gibran

The other possible Paths:
Heart + Heart => Danger ( Listening only to the heart and passions sets up yourself for danger.)
Head + Heart => Regret ( Start from the head first but clinging and pining for your desire is choosing a life of regret.)
Head + Head => Sadness ( The head ruling over the heart completely results in lack of joy and self-knowledge.)

Steps of the Passion Plan Model(TM) :

Feeling:
1.start from the heart
2.discover your passions

Thinking
3.clarify your purpose- where your passion will lead, how it serves your purpose
4.define your actions - long term and short term plans

Acting
5.perform with passion
6.spread your excitement - share, help, spread
7.stay the course - renew, reevaluate, modify

.: 6/9/2002 :.

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