-Your Fiery Soul-
“A fiery spirit bursts from your soul.”
— A.D. Posey
My oldest daughter has a fiery soul. It’s something to behold and I love it. It’s impossible to miss really. You spot it in her demeanor, enjoy it in her expressions. You hear it in her conversations, appreciate it in her interactions. She is spirited about all she touches, one way or another – she’s passionate about her artwork, she’s wholeheartedly against eating tomatoes. She’s only six but dreams big dreams for a little kid. She rejects the idea of failing, even at silly things. She is fearless at times; she’ll jump into a chilly pool and swim for hours. Sophia’s zest for life is contagious. The author Mike Bond described her breed well: “Then I remembered how she was – fiery, ruthless, smart, and despite herself very caring.”
This is such an enchanting point. Though Sophia is made of fire, she is also a high-character child. She is kind, funny, and charming. These aren’t adjectives that one often associates with fiery people. But you can be more than one thing in life. Here’s the interesting thing about my daughter. She’ll lie from time to time, but dishonesty makes her feel incredibly guilty. She’ll cheat once in a while . . . and then start crying. When she is mean to someone, it hurts her deeply. Why? Even though she has fire in her belly, her conscience still is finely tuned to advise her right from wrong. She hasn’t muted it for decades like many adults we meet. Though her conscience doesn’t dictate her actions – a conscience can’t really do that – it’s a driving force in her decision-making. I believe this about most kids: they have their differing personalities, but they are almost all morally-respectable human beings.
Here’s the thing: the more time I spend with Sophia, the more I crave a fiery soul like hers. My daughter gets some of her passion from me to be sure, but she runs hotter . . . like I used to. Hence this post.
Application
Garth Brooks wrote a song with these lyrics, “That old star that you’ve been wishin’ on is shining mighty bright, but it’s the fire inside your heart that gonna lead you to the light.” And he’s right. The living-on-a-prayer type of life just won’t get you where you want or need to go. Achieving success in a difficult, unpredictable, and unfair world takes great dedication and motivation. And that type of attitude originates most easily from an internal fire fueled by what moves you most in your life.
Think how your life might look with more fire in your belly – the good kind that motivates, leads you to take chances, and succeed in scary things. What could you accomplish? Would you love more deeply? Would you be in better shape, physically and mentally? Could you really make a difference in your career or at your school? Would you wake up happier? I argue that your answer to each of these questions will almost surely be, “Yes!”
So, how do you get your fire back. I have a few ideas. Read mine and then come up with your own:
- Find Your Fuel – this is the thing in life that motivates you deeply. It’s what gets you up in the morning and keeps you burning the midnight oil. Your fuel is the first significant thing you would do first every day in a perfect world – a place where you could do almost anything you wanted. It’s okay to have a few fuel sources of this magnitude. My family is my fuel for sure. My desire for them to have a happy and healthy life never runs out. I get tired all the time, but I wake up with the same desire to help them the next day. Why? A thriving family fuels my fire. I also find great meaning in my work. It’s important to me to teach the next generation that character matters and to thoughtfully walk through this world. Though my job gets me tired, I never get tired of seeking that goal. My job is another source of fuel. For some, it’s their art, for others their health. Just find yours because once you find your passion, you’ll never work a day in your life. Instead you’ll be on a mission where grand failures are not an option. I will fail from time to time but I won’t blow up my family and I won’t be a worthless professor/speaker. Why? I will work tirelessly to make sure that never happens.
- Surround Yourself with Some Young People – whether it’s your child, a niece/nephew, a mentee, someone taking part in a volunteer role of yours, etc. hopefully some of their zest for life will rub off on you. I am amazed how I look back with such fondness on even the little memories with my kids. My kids tire me out for sure, but recognizing how special family can when done intentionally be is a great motivator.
- Set & Achieve Little Goals To Reach Big Dreams – getting results in life helps keep your fire blazing. The inches in life matter as much if not more than the touchdowns. Celebrate your small gains on the path to your larger goals. This keeps the fuel pumping.
- Now You Come Up With Some . . .
A Brief Note on The Dangers of A Fiery Soul
Unabated, a fiery soul can be a dangerous thing. Undirected energy goes where it wants. It can be used for good or cause us to act recklessly. Undirected energy can create negative consequences and hurt us and others. The results are really unpredictable. And so, a fiery soul must be harnessed. Under control, you can reap many benefits. Out of control, watch out.
How can you funnel your fiery spirit in positive directions? This is where your character comes into play. It forms the guide rails within which your actions should proceed. Let your conscience direct your fire. For example, sometimes my anger pushes me to be mean, but then I remember that compassion matters. On my good days (most of my days), my character wins and I am kinder than I want to be. Other times my fiery spirit leads me to be a jerk. Similarly, sometimes my rush to get things done pushes me to make rash decisions. On my good days, my character wins and I practice patience. Other times the impatience roused by my fiery soul costs me dearly. My conscience helps me harness the fire on its way out and I must keep listening to its guidance.
The Bottom Line
After thinking about this a lot, a few things became clear: (1) This fiery soul persona describes a lot of kids. It’s not just Sophia, it’s really part of the beauty of youth. Kids are optimistic and full of energy. Kids get up when they fall down. They don’t have the instinct to give up. Oh . . . and their conscience still works pretty well. (2) I want my fire back. So, let’s set our souls on fire again like when we were kids. On the journey, keep in mind this wisdom from war hero Ferdinand Foch, “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”
More soon,
Corey
- Check out COREYSPEAKS.COM for more on popular keynote speaker Corey Ciocchetti. Corey has keynotes on happiness, integrity, ethical leadership, ethical decision-making, morale, stress reduction, and professionalism. Corey has spoken in 44 states and over 250 cities since 2007.
- Check out Corey’s other cool ethics blog posts on LEADERSHIP and HAPPINESS – you won’t regret it.
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