What comes to your mind when you read the title? Sweet and sour? Yellow and purple? Or just poor taste? I can’t really imagine that anyone doesn’t like passion fruits, but tastes are different. I tried my first passion fruit in Cambodia while attending a cooking class. And while I liked preparing the quite exotic meals with awesome taste, I must say that preparing food in general is definitely not my passion.
A few hundred years ago, when the passion fruit was „discovered“ by missionaries in Brazil, they gave the plant a name related to Christian religion. Naming the plant after the Passion of Jesus Christ, they were hoping to educate the Brazilian natives about Christianity.
Looking up the etymology word „passion“, it turns out that this word originates from the latin words passio (suffering) and passus (suffered), it makes sense that it is called the Passion of Jesus. All the suffering, ending his own crucification.
Let’s also have a look into ourselves, specifically at our comfort zone. We are primed to stay in the surroundings that make us feel comfortable. Staying on the couch instead of working out, buying an all-in pass for vacation instead of seeking the adventure, or even staying in our social circle instead of meeting new people. And whenever we want to go beyond the things we’ve already experienced, into the unknown, we feel afraid to do it. We are anxious and want to quit before even trying it out, even if these moments could bring the joy of our lifetime…
But where there is shadow, there is also light. Jesus‘ passion led to resurrection, workout forms fitness, and going out of our comfort zone can cause the most amazing memories we will have made in our lives. But we need to try and follow our passion.
I am currently experiencing a passion fruit of my own – my very first crowdfunding campaign for the publishing of my German fantasy novel „Die Herren Vobors„. The campaign is structured in a way that I need to reach a minimum amount to receive the funding – in my case 5.000€. And while the project after one week (out of almost 5 in total) has reached more than 1/3 of the minimum total support, I still wake up every morning with my very own passion fruit mix of anxiety and excitement, anticipating how the contributions might have evolved over night.
So what’s the point? The next time you eat a passion fruit, pay attention to how the taste unfolds. It’s both sweet and sour. And it is this combination that makes this fruit so amazing, just like any passion you try to achieve. As Tory Burch has said: „If it doesn’t scare you, you’re probably not dreaming big enough.”