It's All About PASSION!

What are you passionate about? What gets you out of bed on those days where you are fired up and excited for what the day will bring? For some they know that this day will be fun and they will be doing something they love to do. I.E. fishing or hunting, skiing, camping, scrapbooking. Doesn't matter what it it, you simply love to do it. It makes you happy, brings you energy, brings you joy, adds value to your life. Maybe it is WHO you are enjoying the time with that brings you the most joy?

Let's ponder that for a few minutes. This reminds me of the "mid-life crisis" people have. I do not think it is a mid-life crisis as much as it is an AWAKENING! You wake up and say "is this all there is?" You think there has to be more to life than what you are experiencing. You see people experiencing an abundance of love and joy around you, yet you are stuck in a rut. I am no pschologist, and I am sure there are a bunch of reasons for these thoughts, however I do believe that a lot of people simply lost their passion somewhere and they need to figure out how to get it back.

I think most people have a wake up call at some point in their life. You finally find something or someone that gets you excited to live. Excited to learn. Excited to experience. Excited to serve. Excited to make a difference. Excited to age. Did I say AGE? A good friend of mine, Rich Palmer, once told me that he is excited to age. I thought whoa...not me. Then we talked further and he really put it into perspective for me. Aging is a right of passage. All the books, all the lessons, all the experiences, define who we are. Growing old is the reward for living. The better you live, the better the reward will be. I choose to LIVE a good LIFE.

Don't be the person at the end of your life wondering if you lived the right life you were supposed to live! What is your genius? What brings energy to your life? What can you get your arms around and say "I am passionate about this, I can make a difference."

Paul Conlin, founder of "Cars & Kids" here in Fargo, gave a presentation about why he started his nonprofit. You could feel the passion from his speech. He is SUPER committed to his mission. He is making a difference, and as he keeps moving forward, more and more people will be on board to support him and his mission. www.carsandkids.net

I say, "Get off your ASS and get passionate!" I am passionate about a lot of different things. Mostly as a role model. Everyday I get up and know that I lead by example everywhere I go. Everything I do, someone is watching, learning, critiquing, etc. I am not concerned about their opinion of me, as much as I am concerned about the impact I can have on their life somehow.
I read somewhere recently that this author recommended that you should go out of your way to provide kindness to at least 10 people a day. 10 a day! WOW! It is really not that hard to do if you think about how many small interactions you have throughout your day. The bigger picture is that by you being nice to them, they will be nice to the next person, and so on. Think about that...seriously, stop and think about the impact of that...

My biggest critiquers...my two boys. They sure absorb everything they see and hear. Whether I want them to or not. So why not let them hear the good and the not so good? It is the way to teach them good decision making skills. Teaches them that life is not all rosy every minute of every day. Teaches them that even when you are knocked down, you can still get up. Teaches them the value of being nice and the ever lasting impact that you can have on people.

I am passionate about my life. I am passionate about living and growing old. I am really passionate about the lives of others. Get out of bed everyday and be excited. Exercise your body, nourish your body, educate your body. Choose to have a super fantastic day. Surprisingly enough, you probably will.

Make it your mission to find out what you are passionate about. How can you find ways to serve others while doing it, and you will live your best life.

What are you waiting for?

Yours in ABUNDANCE!

Steve Aune