Have you ever noticed that some people seem to always be happy?
Have you also noticed that these people appear to be in the minority?
You may ask yourself, "What makes them so strange, and how can
I join them?" Far too often we fall into the trap of believing
that something acted upon them to give them such a charmed life. The
truth of the matter is simple. You too can live your life passionately.
People often race around from activity to activity, relationship to
relationship, or place to place searching for that "something"
that is going to make their life complete. We somehow believe that
the missing ingredient to happiness is somewhere outside us and we
set out on a journey to find it. The real miracle lies in the fact
that many people appear to be successful in this quest, or at the
very least seem to find something which serves as a representative
for happiness in their lives. So it would appear that to live this
passionate life, one must have something to be passionate about. The
operative word throughout this paragraph is "appear," and
it certainly looms large. In reality, passion must always reside within.
It is our ability to appreciate the objects and events of our lives
rather than the objects and events themselves which assures us of
the passionate life.
"It is not doing the things we like to do, but liking the things
we have to do that makes life blessed" - Goethe -
Search as we must, the hope stands strong that we will discover
the ingredients necessary to appreciate life. Along the way many
people will point us in a variety of directions. Madison Avenue
exists on the very idea that we can be sold the idea that we are
incomplete. Millions of dollars change hands dependent on the perpetuation
of this myth. Keep searching if you must, but don't forget to be
passionate about the search.
Throughout this roller coaster ride we call life there will be many
adventures. We first stand patiently in line awaiting our turn.
Next we move to the holding area with our place reserved for the
next car that arrives. The anticipation mounts as we board the car
and the attendant assists us as we buckle ourselves safely in. The
car pulls away and the trip begins. We climb hills, we coast on
high points, we plunge downward, we glide on low points, we encounter
twists and turns at a variety of speeds, sometimes bumpy and other
times smooth. At the end of this eventful ride we coast back into
the safety of the hut and leave the train behind us. To some, the
waiting in line is boring, while others find it an opportunity to
experience conversations with all those new faces who pass us in
the line. Some anticipate the ride longingly while others fear for
their lives. For some the very idea of the attendant buckling his
belt insults his intelligence. Others feel the comfort of knowing
that another person cares about their safety. Each part of the ride
carries with it the potential for excitement or fear, happiness
or terror, joy or strife. Which parts of the ride will give us pleasure
and which parts will give us pain? The choice is entirely up to
us and in the balance of these experiences we can either choose
to leave the ride nauseated or exhilarated.
This leads me in the direction of my advice to you. I'll give you
a great suggestion of something to be passionate about --- EVERYTHING!
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