The 2 Types of Passion
There are two types of passion.
One lifts you. The other consumes you.
A story to illustrate:
A few years ago, I met two young founders at a tech event, let’s call them Maya and Raj.
Both were obsessed with their startups. Both worked 80-hour weeks. But over time, their paths diverged.
Maya’s life became her work.
She said yes to everything, skipped meals, and answered emails at midnight.
Her self-worth was tied to her company’s ups and downs.
Every setback hit her hard. Burnout was inevitable and when it came, it hit like a freight train.
She stopped enjoying the work she once loved.
That’s obsessive passion in action: relentless, but ultimately unsustainable.
Raj, on the other hand, built boundaries into his days.
He loved his work, but made time for friends, running, even unplugged weekends.
When things went wrong, he felt the sting but didn’t take it personally.
His identity wasn’t shackled to results.
Over time, not only did his company thrive, but he did, too.
That’s harmonious passion: the work fits into your life, not the other way around.
Obsessive Passion
This is the passion that owns you.
It’s the itch you can’t scratch, the drive that refuses to let you rest.
It keeps you up at 2 a.m. not out of excitement, but out of compulsion.
It looks like this:
You feel anxious when you’re not working.
You struggle to step away, fearing you’ll fall behind.
Your identity becomes fused to outcomes, so failure stings deep.
Work takes priority over health, relationships, everything.
In the short run, obsessive passion can look like a superpower. In the long run? It burns you out, leaves you joyless, maybe even empty.
Harmonious Passion
This is a different energy entirely.
Harmonious passion flows with you, not against you.
You love what you do, but you don’t need it to feel whole.
You can slow down, take breaks, and enjoy the process.
It looks like this:
You’re engaged—but not enslaved.
You can unplug without guilt.
You grow stronger, not more depleted.
Your work is just one part of a rich, full life.
Harmonious passion sustains you.
It’s the reason some people seem to thrive, effortlessly, for decades: their drive is perfectly aligned with their life.
No force. No friction.
The Big Question
Ask yourself these questions:
What pursuits energize you, even when they’re challenging?
What would you choose to do, even when no one’s watching?
What were you doing the last time you felt truly alive?
Identify your Harmonious Passions. Lean into them.
What type of passion has been showing up in your life lately? Hit reply and let’s swap stories.