Finding Your Passion

I wandered aimlessly through many chapters of my life. Drifting, coping, enduring ... I went through the paces of life that were necessary to take care of the life that I had built. If I was to color my life, those times would be shades of gray.

The past several years, I've been living in a panoramic, technicolor world. My life has been seasoned with passion.

I am very fortunate to have found several passions that I can easily immerse myself in. Activities that make my heart race, stir up great emotions and make me excited about the life that I am living.

As I wrote that description, I immediately thought it sounded like a 'falling in love' kind of feeling. And it is. The emotions are the same. The giddy happiness that comes from being in love is exactly what I am feeling. Only it is better. This feeling isn't attached to another human being. It is internal.

I have found an inner happiness and peace that comes from loving my life. I have filled my life with what makes me happy. I have allowed myself to follow my passions. I am following where my heart leads ... and it is amazing.

I write.

Writing is a solitary activity that I can keep to myself, share with another or share with the 'world'. Blogging has become second nature to me. I write about what moves me. Whether it is deep and serious ... or light and superficial. I let the words free fall from my brain into my fingertips (I am often surprised with the outcome ... this must be what an artist who paints feels like). I find that the more I write, the more I have to say. I have a strong feeling that if I was to stop writing, I would stop thinking in the same manner. My life would turn back to shades of gray.

I reach out to people more than I ever have in my lifetime.

I used to color myself 'boring'. Who would want to spend time with me? Why would anyone want to go out with me? What did I have to say? I must admit that it was writing that pushed me out of that way of thinking. I used to be very quiet (people who know me now, have a hard time believing that). But even in my quiet years, I wrote. I wrote letters and notes. I could write what I couldn't say out loud. I received a lot of positive feedback from the words that I put onto paper. Eventually that translated into a verbiage that I now have a hard time containing.

Now? I invite people into my life. I extend invitations. Amazingly ... people respond to that. I pushed myself far out of my comfort zone and invited myself into my mom's family so that I could put together their family's story and memories. I helped a friend do the same. I am on the cusp of working on my dad's family's memories. It's scary and overwhelming at times. But in the end ... it is beyond satisfying.

The best part of finding what moves me and going after it ... is that it costs me nothing. I'm giving of myself and there is no monetary gain or loss to be made. It is all personal. There are still risks ... but when I weigh the negative against the positive, the risks are well worth taking.

And ... I dance.

Unfortunately, this passion have a monetary price tag on it. In fact, that part is kind of sad. The only place that I get to dance is at the dance studio. Since I started taking dance lessons, I sit at the wayside at family weddings or events where dancing takes place. No one asks me to dance any more.

I laugh and say that I have to pay people to dance with me now. Yes, I'm sure that I could find other ways to dance. But not within the hours that I like to keep. I'm a homebody. I really like to be home by 9:00 or 10:00 at night. The hours of the dance studio fall well within that range. It's comfortable. 'Everybody knows my name'. It's well worth the price tag.

The most amazing thing has happened since I voiced my excitement about my enjoyment of the extra dance-hours that I put in, as I prepared to go to a dance competition in Montreal. The opportunity to dance some extra hours (within the hours that I like to keep) have presented themselves to me. All I had to do was say 'yes'!

My wishes are all coming true these days. It is amazing.

I have never felt so passionate about the life that I was living. These days ... I live a life that I love. I dare to dream. I believe that dreams can come true. I can't recall a time in my life when I was so happy within my own skin.

I have voiced many desires ... and one by one ... they are all coming true. Yes, I do have to push myself in the direction that I want to go. But for the first time in my life, I'm not afraid to do so.

If I could grant everyone on this earth just one wish ... it would be for them to find their own inner passion.

What drives you? What makes you happy? What do you feel great about? Where do you derive your confidence?

Everybody is good at something. It doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours.

When you find what brings you inner happiness ... follow your instincts. Forge a new path. Take a risk.

Passion. The ability to dream. Believe it. Say it. Go for it!

Everyone deserves to be 'this' happy.