Passion: Even the word sounds heady. It brings to mind Romeo and Juliet (or maybe Mr. Darcy?) or some other caution-to-the-wind romance... swept, irrational, all-consuming. We use it when we talk about things that stir us: I'm passionate about this cause (or person or topic). The Oxford Dictionary defines passionas "a very strong feeling of love, hatred, anger, enthusiasm, etc." The question is, where does this "very strong feeling" come from? And might it be possible to generate it ourselves?
Contrary to the myth of die-by-the-dagger romance (I mean, come on, Juliet--there must have been a better way!), passion isn't something out there waiting for us to stumble upon it. It's an internal quality, something that we can not only cultivate but also direct towards positive change.