Recently I’ve been thinking about how to elevate my speaking game and it seems that every week I get a new idea for how to do just that.

The latest one to cross my path was how to implement more passion. This is a topic I'm familiar with but I’ve since outgrown my original interpretation of what passion is. So, it’s time to reinvent.

Describing passion for me has been simply: talking about something that you care about. That’s not a bad description, actually. Simple and just about covers it. The only problem is, you can talk about something you care about and still be stifled by the prospect of offending, or trying to appeal to everyone.

That is a problem because it can hold back your true passion. That's robbery.   

Is there a better way to describe passion that would allow someone to learn what it means and at the same time know how to actually implement it?

Today we'll find out, and we'll even watch some sample speeches so you can see for yourself what passion is all about. 

Is there a better way to describe PASSION? 

You better believe there is. 

How 'bout this: Talk about something you know and care about, but as you talk about it, take a stand!

Don’t whitewash it or try to make it appeal to everyone. A passion is a decided upon perspective--your perspective. You have passion for something because you made a decision to have a strong opinion about it, and by god, you’re gonna tell the audience about it.

After watching a buttload of speeches over the past several years, I can confidently say that passion makes a speech interesting.

And you don’t have to be a “professional” speaker or entertainer to bring it. Humor and having valuable content are wonderful tools, yes, those can help any speech. But it is passion that's the strongest and most engaging trait of a speech, and any speaker can tap into it.

Look at this guy for instance. He talked for 4 minutes about how to use a paper towel. To be perfectly honest, this is one of the BEST TED Talks I’ve ever seen.

Was there any doubt in your mind that Joe “The Paper Towel Man” Smith was on the fence about how to use a paper towel? The dude was 100% committed. Not even a Nazi interrogation was going to convince him that he needed more than 1 paper towel to dry his hands.

Have a perspective and proudly stand by it. Is that not passion? Passion can’t be achieved by being neutral or indecisive. 

Or what about this speech from Marc Mero?

My eyes are still taking a piss. That's some serious passion for his momma.

Okay, okay, one more example to show you that passion can be found in a variety of speaking arenas.  

Love Ron Paul or hate him, you can tell he cares about his positions. 

A quote to measure passion...

I heard something the other day that caused me to stop and think. I don’t recall who said it but it basically went like this:

That’s what I call the raw truth. Now, the context for the quote was in regards to challenging the status-quo and making change in the world. Yet, it’s relevant because it’s saying that when you have a definite point of view, not everyone is going to agree nor not secretly want to kill you.

It’s not "you kinda maybe like it, but then maybe kinda not like it, and you think the audience maybe sorta will or will not like it either," rather, it’s a definite point of view that you should have.

A passion doesn’t have to be positive or negative. You can vehemently hate someone or something and then make a passionate speech about why that is. Same for something you love. You just have to pick a side and fully embrace it.

You know what you need to do...

If you’re still evaluating how you feel about a subject, you haven't developed a passion for it.

Maybe it’s a little crush you have on it, but it ain’t a passion until you’re perched in the neighbor’s tree staring through the bedroom window with a telescope, restraining order clutched in hand. 

Choose a passion that leaves you with no doubt and then talk about it in a manner that’s unafraid and unapologetic. That's passion.