The Line Between Passion & Obsession (and Why ND Manifestors Blur It)

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If you’re a neurodivergent manifestor who feels like you’re always on the edge between inspiration and burnout, this episode is your wake-up call. 🔥

We're unpacking the blurry line between passion and obsession — and why so many ND creators find themselves chasing, gripping, and spiraling in the name of “drive.”

You’ll learn:

• How to spot when your “passion” has become survival energy
• What obsession feels like in the body (vs. true alignment)
• Why sustainable manifestation starts with nervous system trust

✨ Ready to pull back from obsession without losing your spark?
The companion episode on Manifest Differently: The Deep End drops the exact tools to shift your state in real time.
Join us now at: manifestdifferently.com/substack

What if manifestation wasn’t about hustle or high vibes only — but about working with your neurodivergent brain, not against it? Enter Write Your Reality — a quantum, nervous-system-friendly guide (written for authors but 🔥 for ND creators and entrepreneurs, too). We’re launching it through Kickstarter April 14–May 11.
👑 Back it (or bookmark it): https://authorrevolution.org/kickstarter

Traditional manifestation advice wasn’t made for neurodivergent minds. Inside Manifest Differently on Substack, I share exclusive insights, nonlinear success strategies, and deep-dive content designed for ND thinkers. Plus, get access to Manifest Differently: The Deep End, my private podcast for paid subscribers. Follow now: 👉 manifestdifferently.com/substack

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the Manifest Differently Podcast. I hope today’s story inspired you to trust the process and manifest in a way that feels aligned with your unique energy.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into neurodivergent-friendly manifestation techniques, head over to ManifestDifferently.com for resources, tools, and more. Want even more insights? Subscribe to my Substack at manifestdifferently.substack.com/subscribe for weekly inspiration straight to your inbox.

And let’s connect on TikTok! Follow me at @ManifestDifferently for behind-the-scenes tips, quick mindset shifts, and so much more.

Until next time, remember: you have the power to manifest differently—and the universe is waiting to conspire in your favor. See you next week!

Episode Transcript

Carissa Andrews (00:08):
Welcome to Manifest Differently, the
podcast for neurodivergentthinkers and anyone looking to
approach manifestation in a waythat truly works for them.
I'm your host, carissa Andrews,here to explore the science,
energy and strategies that willhelp you create the life you
love.
Let's dive in and ManifestDifferently.

(00:35):
Hey there guys.
Welcome back to ManifestDifferently, a podcast for
neurodivergent creators,disruptors and manifestors who
are done trying to fit intoneurotypical boxes.
I'm your host, carissa Andrews,and today we're talking about a
spicy topic that I know isgoing to land for a lot of us
the line between passion andobsession.

(00:57):
Now, if you're someone who getshyper-focused, dives deep and
pours every ounce of your beinginto something you're really
excited about, this one's foryou, because here's the truth.
Neurodivergent manifestors arewired for intensity.
We need something to chase.
It's part of how our brains andbodies operate, but sometimes

(01:19):
what we think is passion isactually obsession, and while
one of those fuels us, the otherkind of fries our system.
Ask me how I know.
So today we're exploring whatit really means to move from
obsession to passion and whythat shift changes everything
about how we manifest.
We're going to talk about whatthe difference actually feels

(01:41):
like in the body, whyneurodivergent folks blur the
line more than most, and how youcan start noticing the signs
before burnout hits.
And, of course, if you want thefull breakdown on how to pull
back from obsession withoutlosing your spark, you'll want
to join me inside this week'scompanion episode of the Deep
End, my exclusive sub-stackpodcast, where we get into the

(02:02):
juicy how and now of every topic.
I'm sharing my exact processfor resetting the nervous system
and buildingneurodivergent-friendly passion
anchors.
You won't want to miss it.
But before we dive deeper, let'stake a moment to regulate our
energy and come back into ourbodies, wherever you are, if

(02:23):
it's safe to do so.
I want you to close your eyes,take a slow, deep breath in
through your nose, hold it atthe top for just a beat and
exhale gently, letting the airout of your mouth.
Let's do that one more time,but, but this time.

(02:45):
Imagine you're breathing inclarity and breathing out.
Any urgency or pressure thatyou've been carrying Feels good,
doesn't it?
One last breath, inhalingpassion, that warm, alive

(03:06):
feeling.
Exhale obsession, that tight,frantic grip.
Now place a hand on your heartand repeat this, silently or out
loud.
I can hold big desires withoutholding my breath.

(03:26):
Feel that for a second, let itland and, when you're ready,
bring your awareness back,because we're about to break
down a big energetic distinctionthat can shift everything.
So what's the differencebetween obsession and passion,

(03:49):
and why do we blur that line?
Well, let's start with theenergy.
Obsession often shows up asurgency, right, there's this
tightening in the body, thefeeling that you have to keep
going, you can't stop thinkingabout it and if you don't do
something right now, everythingis going to fall apart.
It's hyper fixation with a sideof panic, basically, and, trust

(04:13):
me, I felt this so many timesthroughout the years, whether it
be in school, whether it be metrying to launch careers or
publish books faster, whateverthe case might be, it definitely
feels like that.
Now you might find yourselfconstantly checking metrics.
Been there, totally spiralingin your mind oh yep, check mark,

(04:34):
reworking the same projectendlessly, or physically
collapsing after a big push.
Sometimes I even do that at theend of the day, when it's been
a huge, hectic, frantic day.
Right, because obsession isthat voice that keeps saying
just one more thing and thenI'll rest, but that rest never

(04:56):
really comes.
So we end up burning out.
We end up having all theseissues come on, health issues
until our body finally goes nope, we're done and you do have to
focus on it.
You either have a healthcollapse or a career collapse.
Something happens in yourreality that makes you go.
Oh crap, I need to stop Now.
Passion, on the other hand,feels like flow.
It's still intense, for sure,but in a way that activates you,

(05:18):
not drains you.
You're lit up, you're curious,present, the body feels more
alive, not more tense.
There's space, there's breath,and it feels like you're
technically receiving someawesome insights from the
universe.
And here's the tricky part forus neurodivergent manifestors,
though those two energies canlook similar on the outside, but

(05:44):
they actually land verydifferently in the body, don't
they?
I know, for me, there have beenmany times where I thought I
was operating out of passion forwhat I was doing, for what I
was creating, only to realizethat was not the case, right?
So why do we blur this line?
Well, it's because we're wiredfor dopamine seeking.
Our brains crave novelty andstimulation, especially when we

(06:07):
care deeply about something,that intensity feels good.
Until it doesn't, and add tothat a lifetime of being told,
we're too much, too loud, toointense, too obsessed, and it
makes sense that we lean intodoing to prove our worth, right?
So we chase the externalresults, to feel safe, to feel

(06:30):
seen, to feel like we're enough.
And when we finally findsomething that lights us up,
there's this fear that if westop find something that lights
us up, there's this fear that ifwe stop, even for a second, the
momentum will disappear, themagic will vanish, and we'll go
back to feeling empty.
Right, so we keep going, evenwhen our body is begging us to

(06:51):
stop.
But here's the truth Obsessionis a trauma pattern.
It's survival energy disguisedas purpose.
Ouch, let that hit for a second, because I know for me, when I
really dug into it and realizedthat I was like whoa, that's
yeah, that's what I'm doing.
That's crazy.

(07:12):
Now passion, though, is yourtruth.
It's your soul, reminding youwhy you're here and how you're
meant to feel, while you createNow as a manifesting generator.
This is something that I've hadto lean into and start really
looking at every single day.
Otherwise, I do have a tendencyto slip back into obsession,

(07:33):
and it's different and it'sdifficult sometimes, but this
shift from obsession to passion,it's not about doing less.
It's about doing it all from aplace of alignment.
Just not adrenaline, right, notfrom all the craziness, not
fear, but instead fromembodiment.
There's that word, again, Ilove embodiment.

(07:54):
This month, well, this year, itseems to be the big theme of the
year.
So when you move from thatspace, manifestation becomes
sustainable, your nervous systembecomes your ally, and things
that you're calling in.
You know, those things thatyou've been calling in for a
long time.
They start finally coming toyou, and not just because of

(08:15):
your effort, but because of yourenergetic match.
Now here's what I want you totake with you today.
You don't need to chase thething, whatever it is.
You need to become the versionof you who already has it.
Now, when you're locked inobsession, you're in a state of
lack, you're holding your breath, you're trying to prove, trying

(08:38):
to control, but passion.
Passion breathes, passiontrusts and passion receives.
That's been another big wordfor me lately, one that I have
leaned into a lot with mypractice every single day, like
leaning back into receivershipinstead of just manifestation,

(08:58):
right.
So the next time you feel thatfamiliar spiral, the frantic
refresh, checking, checking, thepanic when things slow down, I
want you to pause and askyourself is this coming from
truth or from trauma?
Because your truth will neverrequire you to burn yourself out

(09:18):
, ever.
It's kind of crazy when wethink about that.
Sometimes we put ourselves intothese positions where it feels
like we have to keep goingbecause something inside of us
is trying to claw its way out.
I know I definitely feel thatway when I'm integrating new
energies, even from.
You know the human resonancefrom external forces, whatever,

(09:42):
when a new version of myself istrying to come out.
But I have to remind myselfthat that's not required.
Trauma responses are notrequired.
Obsession is not required.
Instead, you're allowed to caredeeply, without gripping
tightly.
You're allowed to want bigthings and still feel safe in

(10:09):
your body Ooh, that was a goodone.
You're allowed to rest andstill be magnetic.
Sometimes we think that there'sa and or situation instead of a.
I can be both right, I can restand I can call in what I need.
I can be contemplative, I canfeel like I'm out of whack, but

(10:30):
still receive.
I can be stressed out and feellike I'm messing it all up
sometimes, but I can stillreceive.
Sometimes, I think a lot of usneurodivergents.
We like to think it's a veryblack and white situation, but
ultimately we're the onesdefining what we receive and how
it gets to come to us.
So we just need to reframe it alittle bit and allow ourselves

(10:52):
some of those gray areas, evenwhen it feels like what?
How can, how can I chill outand still receive?
Well, we define our reality andit's up to us to choose a
reality that works for usinstead of against us, and
neurotypicals have set up thisstage in a way that makes us
feel like it has to be hustle inorder to receive.

(11:14):
But that's not the case.
We can choose to align with whowe are and trust that when we
are having down days or off daysor spiral days or stressful
days, that it doesn't meananything about what we get to
receive.
It just means we're a humanhaving a human experience that
particular day right.
So the more you practice passionover obsession, the more ease,

(11:39):
flow and abundance you'll beginto see in your life.
It's really that simple.
And, yes, sometimes obsessionstarts from passion.
So sometimes we do start fromthat place of I love this thing
and I want to go here, and thenobsession spirals out of it.
Right, but the key here is toknow when we've kind of crossed

(11:59):
that threshold into obsessionand pull ourselves back into
passion.
Pull ourselves back into thatplace where we are being fed
from the universe and not beingdrained from it.
So if this episode stirredsomething in you, if you're
realizing oh wow, I've beenliving an obsession and calling
it passion, you're so not alone.

(12:19):
This is a pattern so many of usfall into, especially
especially neurodivergentcreators, entrepreneurs,
neurodivergent manifestors andthe good news it's we can shift
it.
We can.
You can manifest with ease,alignment and safety without
losing your fire, without losingyour identity, without losing

(12:41):
the passion to the thing thatyou were really just loving up
on right.
So inside this week's companionepisode of Manifest Differently
the Deep End I'm sharing theexact tools I use to pull back
from obsession without losingmomentum or magic.
We're talking how to recognizeyour obsession loops in real
time a three-minute nervoussystem reset you can do anywhere

(13:05):
and how to createneurodivergent-friendly passion
anchors that keep your sparkalive without burning you out.
So if you're loving this andyou want to go deeper, I
encourage you to come join usinside the deep end on Substack.
You'll get exclusive episodesevery single week they're a
companion to this particularpodcast right here plus access

(13:27):
to the full archive and mygrowing community of manifestors
who are doing thingsdifferently, just like you.
So head over tomanifestdifferentlycom forward,
slash substack to subscribe andremember you, my friend, have
the power to create your reality.
So go out there and manifestdifferently.