Sunday Morning Reflections - On the Value of Passion

It's a typical Sunday morning. The house is quiet with just the ticking of an analog clock in my office and Molly sleeping at my feet. The day is starting off slightly tarnished with a gray sunrise after two weeks of rain in south Florida. Nevertheless, I love this time of day. 

Nothing beats blocking out a little time just for yourself.  I can let my mind and my keyboard go any place I want. There are no interruptions, just my thought process and me. It's so important to isolate moments to just kick back and let your mind wander.  

I've talked before about some of the books I read for inspiration, and this piece by Melody Beattie got me thinking about one of the most abused words in photography, "passion". Her piece on passion was too long to share in its entirety, so I've pulled a few excerpts.

---

© adrian_ilie825

"Value what ignites the flame within you.

Value what inspires and interests you, what enrages you, what sparks the fire within. Your strong feelings --what you love or hate---are not wrong. Your passions will lead and guide you in all you want to do. From the tiniest idea to the grandest scheme, what makes your flame burn more brightly in the light shining from above, gently guiding the way...Learn to tell how you react to what you see and hear. That's how you'll learn to listen to what the universe has to say. That place may be the next place you're to go on your path...The idea may be just what you're looking for to help you get unstuck.

...If you've grown cold and bored, you can come alive again. Feel whatever you need to feel and you'll find your passion underneath. If you don't know when you feel sad and alone, you won't know when you feel good. Feel all the feelings that come your way. Each one has a lesson for you. And as you release that energy, you'll be releasing passion, too. Value your passions and the way you feel. Soon you'll find yourself knowing what to do and when."*

I'm one of those people abusing the word passion because it's so all-encompassing. It hits on why I get up smiling almost every morning. And, on those mornings where something is out of alignment it's passion that gets me back into the groove.

More than once I've been called the industry cheerleader. Sometimes that's been a compliment, other times it's from the naysayers attempting to throw a little sarcasm my way. It's hardly a perfect world and while not every day is perfect it is my passion that, like so many of you, keeps me focused.

So, here's the bottom line: be proud of all your passions; for your work, for your friends and your family. Be passionate about being an artist. Put passion into your work, into your relationships and into everything you do. It's one of the greatest words in any language and for a some of you, it needs to be abused even more!

Make it a great Sunday. Spend some time with friends and family and forget about whatever is on the agenda for business tomorrow morning. Don't forget those eleven-second hugs and if you still don't believe me, try one out and you'll see for yourself. 

*Melody Beattie, Journey to the Heart, click for the link on Amazon