passion...less, page-26

"but feel like i'm "missing" something"
"feeling a tad empty"

there are usually perceived to be negative aspects, but in truth, they are quite positive if viewed honestly, and one is serious about tackling them.

if we feel empty it means that we, to some degree, acknowledge that all the compounded things in life that we derive happiness from, just don't cut the mustard; in part, because they are double edged swords.
when a couple break up, the consequences can be proportionally miserable with the amount of pleasure as when they fall in love.
when the coin flips, heaven can easily turn to hell.
but although such states can be extremely intense, and even long lasting, they are not permanent.
when something that one "loves" is taken away, for what ever reason, the vessel that was constantly filling with something that was in good supply, can quickly become empty.
it can be like flying in a jumbo jet above the clouds and then running out of fuel and doing a death spiral
we intuitively know this is how things can tend to be so we spend our whole lives chasing rainbows, but never quite touch them
fear of emptiness is a deep-rooted misconception, and the only way to address it is to constantly confront it (the misconception, that is)
happiness has no basis in anything - the same event can be perceived as either comfortable or uncomfortable, depending on the state of mind (this is where the work is required, nature doesn't spoon-fed)
a light example from my own experience is someone with a loud base speakers parked out on the street, that wakes me up in the early hours of the morning can be quite annoying, but at other, (quite rare) times it has actually blissed me out, or it can be neutral with no effect.
i needlessly suffered for years with what i thought was tinnitus (ringing in the ears), but after listening to a discourse about the "sound of silence", my perceptions changed, and now there is no real problem.

something is missing, and that is actually how things are.
your wife, kids, dog, cat and budgie are not actually what you think they are, they are essentially empty compounded things, and that can be a pretty soul destroying realization.
but just because they are empty and compounded does not mean that one should treat them disrespectfully.
rather, there is very good reason why one should practice treating all things with respect, even the things that get on one's nerve.

your post grabbed my eye because of the title.
without compassion, passion is like a blind man on steroids.

so here is some advice that i found useful
when you feel like you are "missing something" find a quiet place and direct your sustained attention onto that feeling and see what it is all about
see what happens

personally, i have good reason to think that the problem is not "feeling a tad empty" and finding a way to fill it up; but rather, failing to acknowledge that we are full to the brim.
we see the unbenificial outward manifestations of such mindsets in the ubiquitous unwholesome habits of many people that we meet, not to mention those pertaining to ourselves.