I am reviewing a previously published column today which focuses on everyday passion.  

Inventing Your Life

“Everyday Passion”

By

Rob Claudio

As I have been traveling to different areas in the state speaking about leadership, the word passion came up several times when discussing goals.  The ability to do something and feel like it is second nature to you and not consider it work, is one of the best ways to describe what passion feels like.  Finding the passion in your everyday life can be an exercise at first, however, once you realize what it is, it should be the foundation for what you strive to achieve on a daily basis. Other signs that describe what passion feels like are:

A burning desire or hunger	A feeling in the pit of the stomach
A feeling of inspiration	A sense of excitement
A clarity of vision	A feeling of limitless energy
A sense of caring deeply	A feeling of contentment

  

So why is everyday passion important?  I find that once you identify what this is for you, it brings you much more fulfillment in your everyday life.  It is hard to imagine, getting up in the morning and not being very excited about what you will be doing the rest of the day.  Going through the motions of living is not what you should opt for, rather getting as much out of a day as you possibly can.  By saying this, I don’t mean filling your days with so many things to do, that you barely get through the day because you are exhausted at the end.  What it should look like, is a well balanced meal. A day filled with some; concentration, reflection, contribution, inspiration and laughter.  A well balanced day should provide you with enough energy to keep your body satisfied and feeling good about what you have accomplished.  If you find that you are out of balance and your passion for things has lost its way somehow, then take some time to reflect.  Conduct some self inventory. Some of that self inventory may begin with some poignant questions such as; Where am I with my life?  Should I be setting goals? Should I check some goals off of my last list? What are the things that bring me the most joy and how can I continue to add those to my life on a daily basis?  Also, make sure you document and write things down.  A lot of the time we lose momentum when we think about things and they are left to our thoughts and not concrete enough as a written word.  There is tremendous power in written words.  Once you have made some assessments and perhaps set or reset some goals, then take action.  Don’t put things off until after the holidays or the next year, time is a lot shorter than what we all realize, so make the most of it. My wish for everyone is that you find your everyday passion, so that it adds to the quality of your life. Finally, I leave you with the words of the best selling author Dr. Robert K. Cooper, who has a set of videos called “Priorities For Life”, that I utilize quite often when I do training.  At the end of each video he ends with the following;  “It’s your life.  It’s your time.  If not now, when?”.

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.

It’s the life in your years.”

– Abraham Lincoln