Passion

                You may think this is a post about running, but it is not. It’s a post about passion. Recently, I was sidelined from running for four weeks. After getting back to it this last week, I realized it is more than about fitness and health for me. It is a passion I have discovered in myself very late in life. I never ran at all until I was 55 years old. Many people claim they would only run if someone were chasing them! They think it sounds like a terrible kind of torture. It’s not for everyone. For me, it is a time of reflection, prayer and peace. I have time to thank God for my blessings and beseech Him for many other things. I pray for the health of my family and friends. I pray that my grandkids make good decisions in their teen years. I pray for a softer heart and a kinder voice for myself. The list goes on and on.  I am in the outdoors (I hate my treadmill) smelling the air, seeing what’s going on in my neighborhood and staying alert so I don’t get hit by a car! Some days it is harder to get out the door than others, but I find on those days, the feeling at the end of the run is even more euphoric. Running has helped me lose weight, enhanced my mental health and proved to myself that I can do so much more than I think I can.

                I am here to challenge you to figure out what’s YOUR passion. Passion, by definition, is described as a powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. Your passion could be crafting, volunteering, travel adventures, reading, knitting, bird watching and more. If you are stumped about what your passion might be, ask yourself these questions. In the last week, what gave me joy? What made me smile? What did I do and thought, “I wish I had more time to do this." Your passion is just that, yours! It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks (crazy old lady runner!), it matters what YOU think. I’m very sure passion comes from the heart and not the head. It requires a bit of curiosity and being a little brave to try something you hadn’t considered before now. I remember over a decade ago, asking myself, “Could I run a 5K?” I’m honestly not even sure where that notion came from, but I’m glad I allowed myself to step outside the box and find out. It has brought me so much joy over the years. I have set goals and achieved them. I have been to nine different states for a run and seen unforgettable sunrises. I have witnessed people helping other people over 13.1 miles that made me continue to have faith in the goodness of the human spirit. It’s given me a boatload of cool medals as proof of my accomplishments. All this because I decided to try something new!

                So, what’s your passion? Give yourself permission to be curious and seek the answer. Many people ask, “What’s my purpose? Is this all there is to life? Can there be more?” Finding your passion leads to finding the answers. Finding the answers leads to joy and contentment. Sounds good to me!