Cheryl Richardson’s “Uncovering Passion”

presented by Bryan Jones

For most people, the road to connecting with passion begins with
practicing good self care. This means slowing down, spending time with
yourself, taking good care of your body and mind, nurturing your spirit,
and engaging in activities that will move you out of your head and into
your heart so you are more open to your feelings. As you’re better able
to be more present and connected to your feelings, you’ll be ready to do a
little exploring to discover the specific, personal things that best
ignite your passions. Let me give you a few examples:

For some, passion is experienced while engaging in a hobby or personal
interest outside of work. For example, my friend Peter is passionate about
sailing. Long before the warm weather arrives, Peter prepares his boat and
plans for the sailing season. When I mention the word “sailing”, his eyes
light up, he speaks with more emotion, and his gestures become more
animated. That’s passion.

For others, their work becomes a passion. My friend Max combined her love
of interior design and interest in real estate to start a business doing
spectacular renovations of rundown properties. Her excitement and
enthusiasm are so strong that I can actually feel her passion when she
shows me different properties and describes the changes she intends to
make. It’s no surprise that her properties sell almost as soon as they
hit the market.

If you feel out of touch with what makes you feel passionate, take heart.
There are a number of ways to reconnect with this feeling. You need only
to pay attention to the clues that surround you each day. Consider these
examples:

Books – Take a moment and check out your bookcase. Whether you read
fiction or nonfiction, books will provide you with many clues about what
inspires you most. As you look over the books, do you notice any common
subjects or themes? Which books are your all-time favorites? Why?

News – There are times when stories in newspapers or magazines will
inspire the pursuit of a passion. For example, you may read the story of a
misfortune that pulls at your heartstrings or a triumph that gives you a
renewed sense of hope. Are there certain sections of the paper that you
turn to first, or certain magazines that you always read? Look for
patterns . . .

Movies - What movies have inspired you? Are there certain movies that
you watch over and over again? Why? Once again, look for common themes.

Passionate People – Who are the passionate people in your life?
Remember that passion can be contagious! When you’re in the company of
someone who is totally consumed by something they feel passionate about,
it’s easier to connect with your own passionate thoughts or visions. Is
there someone you can think of right now who inspires passion?

Service – Have you overcome a major challenge in your life? Do you
feel inspired and motivated to use this knowledge and experience to serve
others? Being there for those in need can be a powerful way to experience
passion.

Passion comes in many forms. Whether it’s a beautiful sunset, a magical
night at the theater, or an afternoon filled with the laughter of a child,
pay close attention to those things that strike a chord with your
emotional core. When you connect with your passion, doors open, energy
ignites, and the world reveals the next steps to using this information in
some life-changing way. Just watch …

Take Action Challenge

This week, grab a notebook, create a “passion page” in your journal, or
open a file on your computer right now, and get ready to go on a little
treasure hunt to identify things that move you in a powerful way. Take a
few moments to quickly answer some of the questions from above. Then,
during the week, start to notice stories that inspire you, people whom you
admire, or times when you feel touched in a deep way. Capture these
examples in writing. As you keep track of these clues, you’ll find they
lead you to *your* passionate pursuits.

Anyone have a passion they’d like to share? Go ahead….leave a comment!

Maurice Denis was a recent participant in the Desiderata Project, hosted by Bob Clubbs on his blog “Every, Every Minute.”

Each participant was given a section of Desiderata to focus on and share their own experience or thoughts…Here’s what Maurice was given and how he laid it out…

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.

The three Phrases that changed my relationship with money forever:

The person who said money can’t make you happy, never had any money. I heard a man say that to my father and I never forgot it. I grew up most of my life not having and mostly wanting. At young age my life became an endless stream of desiring the things I thought I would never have. As early as I can remember I searched for ways to make money, to better myself and live a different life. I went from lemonade stand to Amway before I was in middle school. By the time I was in high school I had already started paper trading stocks. I majored in finance in college and became a stockbroker trainee a month after graduation. The chase was on… all the things I never had I was determined to acquire. I bought a house and a new car, I thought I had arrived. Then one day I stopped long enough to stop letting my fears create my reality. I realized I had everything I had ever wanted and I felt incomplete, still wanting, and still desiring. I knew at that moment that I needed to stop wanting, to stop desiring and start living. I grew up thinking that once I made a certain amount of money, I would be happy.

John Lennon, said “life is what happens when your making other plans.” I spent so much of my life waiting until I had enough money and then I would… Once I had a thousand dollars, once I had ten thousand dollars. I would wait for the fifteenth and thirtieth to value my worth. I was in a constant state of wanting.

This brings me to the second phrase: It’s not how much you make it’s how much you spend…

Don’t let your possessions own you, own your possessions.

I was living my life accumulating things that were contributing to the anxiety and fear that I had around money. The more I made the more I spent. I was chasing my tail. The car I drove and the clothes I wore were all an attempt to become something I thought I couldn’t be without money. Be true to yourself, pursue your passions and the money will come. The more you do what you like the better you become at it. The better you become at it the more you do it… one day you will make a living doing what you love. I will leave you with this last phrase.

The best things in life are free… so go on a living spree! Live today as if were your last, turn someday into today and make each day a perfect day because you were fortunate enough to live it!

That phrase changed my relationship with money forever.

It’s interesting how we fall into patterns in our lives.

A Surfer’s Guide to Life

by Greg Provance
1977 World Champion surfer Shaun Tomson recently released his new book, Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life.

In it, he relates his experiences with surfing to 12 simple truths that anyone can apply to live a rich, full life…and if there is anyone qualified to talk about life as it relates to surfing, it’s Shaun. Shaun grew up surfing in South Africa, mastering one of the world’s most epic breaks, Jeffrey’s Bay. “A native of South Africa, he spent fourteen years on the Tour (1976-1989), nine of which in the top six. With twelve contest wins, including a record setting six year winning streak in the prestigious Gunston 500 in Durban, South Africa, he was considered one of the world’s finest surfers.” (Ref: www.SurfersCode.com).

A great friend of mine was lucky enough to meet Shaun recently at Zuma Beach in Malibu while at an event held to teach the art of surfing to U.S. veterans of war. When I heard that he had not only met Shaun and received an autographed copy of the book, but was invited to ride his board, (while I was a few miles away, unaware of the event altogether) I seriously questioned the status of our friendship. But later, as I flipped through the pages of Surfer’s Code, I realized the gift that I had been given. A surfer whom I had admired as a kid, a guy who was the subject of many of the pics that plastered my bedroom walls and who I tried to emulate while learning to perfect my tube-riding skills had once again impressed upon me something special. I found that I may always be a student of Shaun’s, in surfing and in life.

In his new book, Shaun uses his wealth of surfing experience to illustrate life lessons that anyone, surfers and land-lubbers alike can apply. Lessons like: “All surfers are joined by one ocean”, “I will take the drop with commitment” and “I will never fight a rip tide” seem on the surface to be typical surfing cliches, until they are applied to life’s situations as only a true champion can (and does) on the page and in his own life.

Beautifully written and colorfully illustrated with familiar and recent shots that have donned the surfing mags since the 70’s, Surfer’s Code takes center stage on my extensive collection of self-mastery and surfing lifestyle bookshelf!

Any thoughts from those surfing through life out there are welcome!