Welcome to the second in a series of essays that explore topics intended to help us all experience a more mindful, present, and connected life in the year to come. In honor of February, Community Life Director Suzanne Walden-Wells shares her perspective on Passion and Possibility.

Passion & Possibility

I have a confession to make. I am an organizer junkie. My desk drawers are jammed with notebooks, binders, and all manner of calendar systems that, at time of purchase, I was absolutely convinced would catapult me into a world of systemized bliss. Having failed to provide me with the expected results, they lie in a sad half-used heap.

Now that my secret it out, it should come as no surprise that a new organizer has captured my fancy. Passion Planner: the name alone is enough to make me whip out my credit card. It also got me thinking. What do I have passion for? And how in the heck do I plan for it?

First things first. What exactly is passion? Oprah Winfrey made it sound simple when she said, “Passion is energy.”

When we are passionate about something, we become energized, motivated, all a-twitter about it. Passion propels us forward. It is the reason we do what we do.

For many, getting in touch with our passion means getting in touch with ourselves. If you are not big on self-examination this part can get a little tricky. It’s like opening a box only to find another box inside, then another and another and still another. It takes time and a willingness to explore, not just the pretty paper, but the dark corners inside. Passion can be discovered a little at a time.

So what does a planner have to do with all of this? I have a full life – a busy career, volunteer commitments, a family and more interests than I can shake a stick at. My biggest fear is that I become so busy doing that I forget about being.

So, beginning this month, I will approach my days with more intention. I will schedule time especially for daydreaming and new possibilities. I will pay attention to the things that inspire me and ignite my passions. I will show up – fully – for my life.

Nationally-recognized speaker Nancy Coey said it best, “When work, commitment and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible.”

Wishing you a February full of passion and possibility.

Previous Articles in this series:

January:  Welcome to a Bright New Year
February:  Passion & Possibility
March:  Curiosity & Creativity
April:  Turn Your Passion into Action
May:  Words of Wisdom
June:  Always There
July:  Pass the Ketchup, Please
August:  The Moment of Truth
September:  Being an Adult is Overrated
October:  Why we Fall in Love with Autumn in Arizona
November:  Practicing Gratitude
December: ‘Tis the Season for Magic