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Finding your passion in life

Gary Lindstrom

Passion. You must find your passion and focus on that passion. One of life’s lessons. Easy to remember, but hard to practice.

A couple of weeks ago at “Meet the Author’s Night” at the Main Branch Library, I heard a lot about passion. The passion and focus it takes to write a book. The authors were Janice Bunchman, Susan Donaldson, Ken Deshaies, Bob Moscatelli, Gil Smith, Tom Randolph and Edna Dercum. If you were not there, you missed a great evening.

I go to many of these community events, but I left this one with a gnawing feeling I can’t get rid of: It is imperative that everyone finds his or her passion in life and then learns to focus on that passion.



Gil Smith talked about his book on what you can learn from your grandchildren. In the midst of his presentation, he talked about passion and focus. I had heard what he said many times, but that night it really stuck.

Gil talked about a way to find your passion. He suggested writing a journal of your thoughts. Letting your mind spill out on the paper is the first step in finding your passion. Read what you have written. Look at what comes out of your head in your journal. You can see your passion.



Everyone has a passion. You should be working at your passion. You should be living your passion.

If you are passionate about your mate and your relationship with that person, then you will have a successful relationship.

If you are passionate about your spiritual life, you will be spiritually successful. You should be enthusiastic about your beliefs and want to live them every day and not just on your day of worship.

I have a friend who is passionate about rafting. He is rafting nearly every day the water is high enough. That is a passion.

If you are passionate about your job, then you will be a success at work. The days at work will be a lot shorter and considerably more enjoyable.

If you are passionate about being healthy, then you will be physically strong.

I think you catch my drift.

Once you find your passion, you need to focus on that until you realize your dreams and aspirations.

We all know people who are not passionate or focused on anything. They drift from one relationship to another. They try to find fulfillment in alcohol, drugs or other addictions. They are not normally even passionate about that.

I read once that to be a good writer you need to wake up in the morning wanting to write. To be a good writer you are always composing the next chapter or idea as you go through your day. People with a passion for writing write. They don’t talk about it, they do it. For the past several years, I have written a poem a day. That is 365 poems a year. Hundreds of poems. Lots of thoughts. Lots of writing.

I go to the Breckenridge Recreation Center almost every day. People there are passionate about their spin classes or passionate about the stair machines (imagine that). I am passionate about doing my two hours because I know it will make me feel better. I achieve that because I focus on my passion to work out. Without that passion and focus, I would not get off the couch.

When you get to my age, you wish you could instill this into every young person. If there were only some way to do that. If we could, they would understand what it takes in life to find personal satisfaction and success.

Gary Lindstrom is a Summit County commissioner and regular columnist for the Summit Daily News.


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