passion

Last week I was surrounded by people with a passion for writing. At least, they were once passionate about writing. Many, it seemed, had become jaded by the "business" side of what they once loved.

What started out as writing for the love of writing had turned into: do I need an agent? how many more rejections can I take? why did that book get published but not mine? when will I get my chance? can someone decipher this contract for me? should I make the changes the editor suggested?

Why, why, why? When, when, when?

This is true not just for writers.

A coach with a passion for football can lose sight of that passion when he has a losing season, angry parents and board members, kids with no leadership or work ethic.

A passion for teaching can be jaded by having to teach based on a standardized test, students with no respect for their elders, or a student who--no matter how hard you try--just doesn't get it.

A musician may lose her passion if she keeps facing closed doors, if she focuses on "getting heard" by the "right" people rather than playing from her heart. Likewise an artist can become frustrated by this age of 'everyone with a phone is suddenly a photographer'.

Whatever it is that we are passionate about, we have to fight to stay passionate about it. To not give in to the world and its voices which say: this isn't worth it; it will never be fun again; you aren't good enough.

Because what we have a passion for is worth it, can be fun if we want it to be, and is about us--not anyone else.

In the words of Pat Carr (the lady speaking on the other side of the guy in the hat): when it comes to passion, "don't compare (you are unique), don't compete (it's not a horse race), and don't compromise (don't let others tell you what you can or cannot do)."

EMBRACE PASSION.

What are you passionate about?