Chosen Passions

Yesterday two of my friends started a weeklong kayaking journey from Fort DeSoto to Marathon, FL. It’s a 300 mile trip during a time with some of the roughest weather and through some of the most difficult habitats in Florida. And it’s not even their first time!

Every time you feel bored this week, or really comfortable. Every time you take a shower or eat a hot meal, think of my friends. Out on the water. Pursuing their passion.

A lot of people would say they are crazy. Kayak 300 miles. In a week. I might consider it if I could do it at a leisurely pace. Stop to see the sights. Take some pictures along the way. Have some time to write about it. Paddling 20 hours a day? Crazy.

I even say so. But I say it with a smile. Because I get it. This is their chosen passion. They looooooooooooooove kayaking. It is a part of their life all of the time. And once a year they go do this intense race that challenges their bodies and minds. It’s something that shows them such beauty throughout the year, but also reveals the deeper parts of themselves.

I haven’t been as static with my passions, but I need that too. Hobbies that allow me to explore myself more fully. Some of those hobbies involve the intense use of my body. Yoga is one example. My cycling trip is another. Others allow me to explore the quieter parts of myself: journaling, blogging, creating art and crafts, volunteering.

The topic of truly and fully living (and loving) life has come up with a few friends recently. Especially in America, we can get so caught up in the rat race. Work, work, work. Why? So we can have a certain type of house, car, etc… Working towards these things takes us further from friends and family. We say, “Someday I’ll….” but then we never do. Or maybe we’ll get sick, or a family member will, and that will remind us of that list of things we said we wanted to do. Maybe we’ll check a few boxes. Then the list goes back into the drawer until the next big scare.

My wish for everyone is to find a passion. Or let a passion find you. Once you find it, work towards it. Make it a part of your life. Share your passion with your friends and family. 

Life is about more than work, work, work. It’s about more than keeping corporation bigwigs in the money so they can buy 5 mansions and a helicopter. We should dig deeper and find those things that spark our souls and share those things. The world would be a little nicer if we all did.

So what’s your passion?