Sunday, February 24, 2013

Passion Party #473 - Finding The Core

I keep asking myself the question,
"what do you really want to do?"

Once I get past the ego
of how great I am
or how talented
or what a great composer
or I am writing a symphony,
the world deserves to hear my brilliance,
blah blah blah

Once I get all that out of the way
what is left?
I want to help people
I want to be of service
not just to the greater good
but to specific people,
to see the improvements and results.
Perhaps it is to help someone who never thought they could buy a property to get their first home,
or help someone living with mountains of debt to see that it is possible to climb out of that hole, one step at a time,
or lift someone's spirits when they are trapped in a snow-bound tent in the Yosemite back-country with only food, water and an iPod with my music on it,
or to be the best dad I can be for my sons by giving them time, when that was all I had to give.

This is the core of my passion.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Passion Party #472: The Pursuit of Passion


I would rather be in the pursuit of passion
than in the pursuit of happiness.

Somewhere in my early life passion became one of the emotions I realized was a key.
From a very early age I was interested in creating things.  When I was 10 my friend Joe and I would rather make our own board game than play Chutes and Ladders.
Later this creative passion led me to writing newspaper articles, having a radio show, acting, photography, film making, and in the end, a lifelong passion for music composition and theory.
This was a love affair that was deep and mysterious.  And like any great love affair, the more I gave, the more I got.
The less I felt in competition with others, the more my creative passion blossomed.
So I made a decision:
I would avoid jealousy and hatred
I would pursue passion and joy and love.
I have felt jealousy, and it’s a gnawing, destructive emotion. It pulls you and those around you down. It comes from a sense of lack, from not having enough.
I have felt passion, and it is a powerful emotion:
Talent + experience + passion = unstoppable
Passion is the fuel that keeps the fire burning.