Passion & Pancakes

What makes pancakes great? Do you really have to give this question any thought? Warm maple syrup! I wouldn’t touch pancakes without it! I mean, maybe you're different, but for me, there's nothing finer in the breakfast world than fresh pancakes with warm maple syrup!

It's OK if you disagree, just don't say that you prefer Kashi. Cause we both know you just eat Kashi cereal because you have to. I won't deny it, my pantry is full of the stuff. But trust me, it's there because of this unexplainable desire to appear to be health conscious (and regular!). But I digress....

Now think about your career.

A career can be so dull and boring for so many people. Unless...you drizzle on some passion! (And yes, I know that passion does not come in a bottle with a cute logo. But it does come from within, and it's available to us all!)

Passion is why we love William Wallace in Braveheart. Passion is how that teacher in the 8th grade made you fall in love with history. Passion is the maple syrup of life! And unless you seek after things that grow this passion, it will dry up and become a sticky smear on your plate of life.

For me, I've begun focusing my efforts on eliminating the things in my life that sap the passion from me. These things include: social norms regarding what a career should look like, negative thought patterns, busy work, and critical friends. I recently gave up TV! (we'll see how that goes...) The more things I eliminate, the more room I have for my passions to grow.

I've begun filling in the empty spaces with things that excited me. And my career is looking a whole lot better now that I'm chasing things that excite me.

What are you passionate about? What dreams are you chasing?

Comment by Charlie Allenson on March 4, 2011 at 1:13pm: Decluttering your life (including getting rid of toxic people in it) is the first step to allowing your creative and passionate self to breathe, bloom and fully blossom. Because without feeling that passion, it's hard to feel alive, and if you don't feel alive, what's the point of getting out of bed in the morning (unless it's the weekend and feel like sleeping in to recharge your creative juices). Anddo not underestimate the importance of getting some physical activity to keep your endorphins flowing. In my personal list of non-work activities to keep me fresh, creative and passionate the spectrum is wide: Tai Chi, plugging in my guitar and cranking it to 11 (Those who have seen "Spinal Tap" will understand that one) and giving back - I take my one-man rock festival and perform weekly for the cancer patients at a near-by hospital. It sparks my soul and gives me a really good perspective when it comes to mt own life. Just a few thoughts. Rock on.

Comment by Ty Abernethy on March 11, 2011 at 12:50pm: Thanks Charlie! I too am a musician and agree with you wholeheartedly that making music (loud) is great for the soul! Very cool work your doing at the hospital. It's easy for life influences to drag us down, but decluttering life of excess things and toxic people is key! Right on man!