The Element
- devabritow
- Jul 27
- 5 min read
"I use the term the element to describe the place where the things we love to do and the things we are good at come together."
I can sometimes spend ages selecting an opening image for a blog post, scouring WIX for just the right picture before throwing in the towel and buying one from Shutterstock. Thankfully, WIX has a pretty good selection, and I've only had to purchase an image a handful of times. I love the one above because, as we know, in ancient philosophy and alchemy, fire was regarded as one of the four classical elements, alongside earth, water, and air. Fire was frequently linked to energy, passion, and transformation. I used to think I knew what my passion was, but over the last few years, I've come to realise that this is not the case. I've merely been going through the motions without truly connecting with what I love most. If you're in the same boat, this week's book is a must-read.
"We need to evolve a new appreciation of the importance of nurturing human talent along with an understanding of how talent expresses itself differently in every individual."
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson (with Lou Aronica) explores the concept of finding the point where innate ability meets personal enthusiasm — something Robinson refers to as the Element. The author asserts that the Element is the intersection of what you love and what you excel at. Being in your Element means feeling truly authentic, highly inspired, and fully alive.
Robinson advocates for a fundamental re-evaluation of education and work systems to better support creativity, diversity, and personal exploration. According to him, discovering your Element not only leads to personal fulfilment but also has the potential to transform communities and the world.
If you don't embrace the fact that you think about the world in a wide variety of ways, you severely limit your chances of finding the person that you were meant to be."
Robinson questions the limited perspective on intelligence and emphasises that individuals possess intelligence in various forms—such as musical, physical, interpersonal, and more. The author continues that many people never discover their true potential because traditional education systems focus on conformity and academic intelligence, rather than nurturing creativity and individuality. He writes that achieving success and fulfilment occurs when you discover both your talents and what energises you, but being skilled alone isn't sufficient; one needs passion to propel oneself forward.
Exemplars
In True North: A Fixed Point in a Spinning World, which was focused on Shane Parrish's Clear Thinking, I quoted the author who said, "Show me your role models and I'll show you your future."
Ken Robinson echoes this sentiment in The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. On the role of mentors, Robinson writes that discovering the right mentor or community can play a vital role in developing your skills and boosting your self-confidence. Chapter Five of his book is dedicated to Finding Your Tribe. In addition to being reminded of the Shane Parrish quote above, I was also reminded of the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which roughly translates to "I am because we are". Ubuntu highlights the idea that people are influenced by their relationships and that their actions have a ripple effect on the community. In contrast to individualism, Ubuntu questions the Western focus on individualism and advocates for a more comprehensive perspective on human existence. The philosophy proposes that an individual's sense of self is not independent but arises from and is shaped by their relationships with others.
"Finding the right tribe can be essential to finding your Element. On the other hand, feeling deep down that you're with the wrong one is probably a good sign that you should look somewhere else."
From Mick Fleetwood and Bob Dylan to Matt Groening, Meg Ryan and Debbie Allen to Arianna Huffington (and more), Ken Robinson peppers his book with stories about how famous people found their purpose. It is, of course, inspiring, but it's also very daunting. However, in a sub-chapter titled How Do They Do That?, Robinson assures his readers that finding a tribe, "...provides inspiration and provocation to raise the bar on your own achievements" if you have the gumption to do so.
"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it" (Molière)
Ken Robinson dedicates Chapter Six of his book to overcoming obstacles, and he titles it What Will They Think?. I invoked the spirit of Sisyphus here only to stress a point, not to suggest that my journey (or anyone else's, for that matter) is akin to eternal punishment. Zeus didn't play around, apparently, and poor Sisyphus endured a Groundhog Day-like punishment of forever pushing a rock up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, just before reaching the summit.
Admittedly, the self-help journey I'm on can sometimes feel Sisyphean-like. However, we can change our life trajectory. Robinson presents that the barrier to finding the Element is rooted in three things: personal, social and cultural hurdles. In my personal experience, I can probably find links to all three of these root causes, but at my age, there is really only one: the personal. Me.
"Sometimes, the challenge comes from within, from a lack of confidence or fear of failure."
I have meandered through life believing that I am where I am meant to be. For years (and even decades), I accepted the trajectory of my life as kismet. I did what society and circumstances expected of me, and as far as life experiences go, I believe that I have been fortunate. But, I know for a (deep-seated) fact that this has not made me happy. And since we are essentially the orchestrators of our own experiences, the buck stops with me. Like William Ernest Henley said (in Invictus), "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."
I have made some life-changing decisions lately, decisions I would have baulked at just a year ago. But we humans evolve, and I think I've reached a point where I can take a step back and seriously consider what it is that sets my soul alight. This evolution seems to be unfurling like New Zealand's silver fern. Known as koru, these fern fronds represent new beginnings and strength. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything assures readers that it is never too late to discover your Element and that it is achievable at any stage of life. There's huge comfort in that.
Coming Up Next Week
A couple of months ago, I bought Eckhart Tolle's Oneness With All Life, which is described as "a portable collection of the very best inspiring passages from Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth", which I covered in Evolve or Die. The book's subtitle invites readers to "Awaken To A Life of Purpose and Presence". I think it will be a nice segue to this week's post.
#anxiety #depression #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #wellness #selfcare #selfhelp #mindfulness #youarenotalone #thereisnostigma
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