Living Passionately

     I talked to a very interesting woman today, the type of person I term a "giver." I have a theory that there are two main types of people in the world, givers and takers. I feel that essentially everyone I meet falls into one of these two categories. A person either gives joy, energy, and excitement or takes it from you. The woman I met today told me the story of how she found passion in her life and realigned her goals to help her work toward this meaningful purpose.
     She was a traveling nurse for twenty years. She was a married woman, moving around often, and living a very stressful life. The pay was good, but the anxiety overwhelming. She suddenly began suffering from panic attacks, a new development. When she saw her doctor, he wanted to prescribe Xanax. This was her wake up call. She knew a pill wasn't going to fix the problem she had created for herself.
     As she began a personal journey toward wellness, practicing mindfulness, relaxation, studying nutrition, etc. she decided to become a certified holistic nurse. She also became certified in administering what she calls the "Passion Test."
     This is where I really became intrigued. As a social worker, I'm interested in what we call the strengths-based approach, drawing on a client's inherent strengths and forming a treatment plan around them. According to my acquaintance, the passion test is designed to help people identify their true passions. The tool is then used to help individuals realign their priorities to start living a life based on their passions. This is what led the nurse to quit her high paying job and become a consultant teaching others the way to live passionate lives.
     After hearing this story, I just had to make a list of my top 5 passions. In order to do so, I had to clear my mind and freely write a list of things I feel passionate about. Once I had a rough list, I went through and prioritized the five things I do not want to live without. This is what I discovered...

1. Family & Friends
    I'm sure this would be the first choice for most. I cannot live without my loved ones. I love being surrounded by the people I love, entertaining, and socializing. I cannot live without it. 

2. Travel
    I've been fortunate to have traveled far and wide in my limited days. Travel has been such an enlightening experience for me. From Buddhist temples, The Great Wall, St. Peter's Basilica, and Auschwitz to sandy shores, there is so much to be learned from history left behind. In addition, there is nothing quite as freeing as the reminder that there are so many places in the world I could just become lost and start completely anew. 
    
3. Living peacefully
    My life has not always been as peaceful as it is today. Mind you, it certainly isn't the picture of perfect serenity, either! However, the more I practice meditation, relaxation, boundary setting, etc. the more I seek the peace I continue to find. 

4. Making the world a better place
    My profession is my primary facet for carrying out this passion. I truly believe there are so many ways people can make the world a better place, the simplest being a smile. If people spent as much effort improving the world and complimenting it as they do criticizing and condemning it, the world would most certainly be a better place. 

5. Being true to myself
    Judging by my history, there is no doubt I've been strongly dedicated to this concept. Though I've faced ridicule and resistance, if I have nothing else at the end, at least I can say I've been true to myself. 


     Hopefully others will be inspired, as I was, by this interesting concept of living according to your passions. 

Go forth and live passionately!