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Discovering Your Life Passion: What Makes you “Come Alive?”

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heart and wingsDon’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”  Howard Thurman

What makes you come alive? Think about it. It’s an important question.

As for me, my dream is to become a writer: A book series for kids. Columns. Blogs. Screenplays. Even a quick  “spiel” on Facebook can provide a charge. No kidding. An “energy” comes with writing. It’s almost like “extreme” clarity. There’s no other way to explain it…

It took 15 years to “act” on my desire, whole heartedly. Why the stumbling, agonizing delay?

In order to get to the end, let’s start at the beginning:

In 6th grade, our class was given an assignment: “Come up with a make-believe animal. Write about your mythical creature and create an illustration.” Easy enough. Mine was a “pigaroo”–half pig, half kangaroo. Assignment completed, it was a success. Mrs. Seehafer read my creation in front of the class and I received an A. It was gratifying. This experience produced the writing bug. Moving forward, I wrote and read throughout junior high and high school. The words seemed to “flow” easily, and I enjoyed the freedom of expression.

After a year and a half of torture playing collegiate athletics, I sought-out the college newspaper. This was my first experience writing “daily” for the masses. It was a joy. No question…Next stop, The University of Kansas. My major: Print journalism. This automatically associated me with The University Daily Kansan.  The paper was a full-time job (without the pay). Still, I loved it. It was a top-notch community of writers, editors and professors. In two and a half years, my perspective on people and life grew 10-fold, easily.

If a professor ever tells you, “You have to love what you do…You must be passionate about your work!” Let me translate: You’re basically going to be eating ramen noodles for a few years, post college. So, after a short time, it happened: I became frustrated with the long hours, the worthless pay and the office politics…

It was time for a change. My new interest became business and start-up companies. Thus brought nearly 15-years of learning about every type of business under the sun.

In hindsight, I wouldn’t change a thing. Here’s why:

The time’s been chock-full of new experiences: Different industries; new technologies; different management styles; innovative services; interesting people; travel; etc. Every twist, turn, success and disappointment has generated  perspective on life, business, politics and people. I’ve entertained every career imaginable: Sports writer; nanny; national marketing director;  advertising executive; dry ice saleswoman; office manager… I’ve shipped freight; sold toys;  managed trade shows; given speeches;  set sales records;  taught students and changed dirty diapers (that’s not even the half of it, trust me). Along the way, I’ve enjoyed workouts; learned about alternative health–and I’ve even done some writing.

Now, back to that quote–because we’ve come full circle:

It took 15 years for me to  finally “come to life.”

It’s rare for one to truly know–from the start–what makes them “come alive.” And then, when one thinks they have it all figured out, “life happens.” Marriage.  Kids. Bills. Boyfriends. Girlfriends. Bills. New jobs. Layoffs. Bills. Bad decisions. The good news? All of these experiences create perspective. For many, finding their true heart’s desire is a life-long process. The mere fact that it’s a different type of journey for everyone is what makes “this life” what it is, I’d imagine.

My Dad, an English major and father of six, aspired to write a novel… He hasn’t done it, yet. When asked about it, his reply was: “This is the book I would have writ– had I not been living it.” He became a dad to six kids and I guess that was enough to fill his heart and spirit for a time. And, he can still write a book if he so desires…One day, I plan to send him my manuscript, so he can be the first to edit.

There’s time. There is no rush. Life is cycle of never-ending new experiences and new perspectives. So, as the new year begins, it’s the perfect time to consider the all important question: “What makes you come alive?”  



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