Passion vs. Obsession

Someone recently told me I was obsessed with my efforts for breast cancer awareness. At first, I felt the urge to defend myself—to explain why I do what I do. My initial response was simply, “No, I’m not,” without elaboration. But as I reflected on their comment, I realized there’s a crucial difference between passion and obsession (and why didn’t they recognize that?).

Passion is a positive, fulfilling drive that allows for balance and flexibility. Obsession, on the other hand, is an overwhelming, often negative fixation that disrupts other areas of life. I am undoubtedly passionate about helping others—it’s that energy that fuels me, that motivates me to keep going. Does it exhaust me? Sometimes. Do I love it? Absolutely. Am I going to stop because of someone’s misunderstanding? Hell no.

I can’t help but think that people who see passion as obsession may have never experienced true passion themselves (and that’s the real tragedy).