Be Happy - Choose Passion
July 1, 2003
by Debbie Gisonni

Have you ever watched a musician perform? I'm not talking about just listening, but really watching their body movements and facial expressions? A few months ago I saw a Santana concert on TV. I've always loved their music but on that evening, as the camera cut to each band member's solo, I was watching rather than listening. I started to notice how their persona transformed while they were singing, drumming or playing the guitar. Their faces contorted to the beat of the music, heads cocked from one side to the other, eyes closed--looking within. What I saw for the first time was how much passion Carlos Santana and his band members had for their music. It was as if they became the music. They were no longer performers on stage--they were music and soul, joined as one.

When my husband decided to give up his eighteen-year career in high tech, he considered photography (a life long interest) as a new venture, but his logical mind didn't feel at ease with it. So I asked him a question. How does he feel when he walks into a camera store and sees all that equipment and beautiful photography displayed? Does he feel like a kid in a candy store? Does he love the smell of it? Does he want to stay forever? Does he even get a little excited? His answer--Yes! Yes! Yes to all of it! OK, maybe he didn't admit to getting excited, but photography was his passion, and to be true to himself, he needed to pursue it.

Passion is a feeling that comes from deep within your heart like a bubbling caldron of hot liquid. You can try to put a lid on it, but the steam escapes every now and then, reminding you of what is just beneath the surface that feeds your soul. Most of us have a passion for something in life. Maybe it's spending time with your children, skiing or watching old movies. It's what gives you joy. It's what brings a smile to your face.

You can always tell if people are passionate about something just by listening and watching them talk about it. Their faces light up and eyes twinkle as if there's a current of electricity swirling inside them. Some people seem to have that electricity within them all the time. Those are people who truly have a passion for life. When you meet them, you think, I want some of what she has--that energy, that joy. You can readily have it. Find passion in everything you do, and you will enjoy even the most mundane or stressful moments of your day.

Passion allows you the freedom of creativity without the burden of logic.

Five ways to choose passion in your life:

• Send loving thoughts to every task, person or situation.
• At least once a week, do something you love for an hour.
• Join a group with similar interests as yours.
• Notice what makes your heart "flutter" and do more of it.
• Share your passion with others. (i.e.: if it's knitting coasters, give them away as gifts; if it's music, perform free at friend's parties)