What is Your Passion?

Last Saturday I spent the evening with a couple dozen Maryland area bloggers at a MomzShare event, a quarterly blogger gathering organized by Jennifer Gerlock and Lara Dipaola. I wasn’t sure what the topic of the evening would be, but knew that there would be food, fun, and friends, both old and new. The intrinsic value of these gatherings is in the interaction between these women who understand each other in a unique way. As bloggers, we do not need to explain to each other what drives us to blog, inspires us to write. We can talk knowingly about the desire to monetize or difficulty in doing so.

I went into the event knowing the reason that MomzShare was worthwhile. But then the entire event went up a notch as a life coach spoke to us first about her personal experiences, and then about our own goals. As we sat on mats we all closed our eyes, took deep breaths, and answered this question…

What is your passion?

This is something that has been on my mind for some time, and suddenly there was a spotlight shining on that little corner of my mind that is constantly asking me why I do the things that I do. What is my purpose in taking the actions that I take, following through with the decisions that I make?

I spent today with my fellow Lifetime Moms, and again I felt overwhelmed with inspiration. To be surrounded by such talent and drive was incredibly moving, and I wanted to run away at the end of the day to process our conversations and begin to make a plan for my own life.

Returning to my room after a beautiful dinner by the ocean, the waves crashing against the rocks, sounding out through the dark, I found this quote on my bed, tucked neatly under a seashell…

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only by night.” – Edgar Allan Poe

Someone is sending me a sign. It’s time for me to answer the questions that I’m going to ask you…

What is your passion?

If time and money were no object, what would you do?

What excites you – makes you happy?

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8 Comments

  • CathyWebSavvyPR

    Amy, what an inspiring post. You go! I love it when the things in our lives send us indications that we are on the right path. I'm sending you some Positive Vibes tonight…

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  • Aimee Bartis

    how timely…my husband and I have been discussing this very issue. Vision is sometimes are hard thing to get a hold of and even harder to keep a hold of when we let the busy-ness of life interfere.

  • Kristie

    I have been thinking about this lately too!!I have always been very passionate about working with children, especially those with disadvantages. I hope that someday, when I don't have to work, I will be able to do more volunteer work with children.

  • DiPaola Momma

    It is a funny thing, the way the universe sometimes nudges us, prompting us to look inside ourselves. Sure we all think we do that. Yet do we really? Especially when we wear so many hats: wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, writer, entrepreneur, the list goes on and on. With more passions than a day has hours it can be so hard to ask yourself what YOU want. For me, if I were free to just be, I'd have to say I long to be a citizen of the world again. Take my children on adventures, romance my husband in cities I've come to love and those I've yet to know. I'd want to spend hours in old book shops, look at new art,immerse myself in new cultures and drink it all in. Then take what I've learned and help others do this for themselves. I think at the heart of what Lauree did for us at Momz Share was to remind us to dream our dreams too. Hello universe I'm listening. By the way it was great to get more than a passing moment to see your beautiful face & chat with you sweetie!

  • LoveFeast Table

    We've raised our kids to pursue their passions. This is a common discussion around our table. As Chris Ann and I wrapped up our weekend of fun and work, we determined to keep following our passions. Because, how can we tell our kids to do the same, if we don't model it? It is still hard work and sacrifice, but in the end, the dreams are continually fueled by the joy that comes from pursuing the very thing (s) you were created for!
    We live for those conversations with friends that add more fire to that fuel! Next time we'll have to talk some more!
    ~kristin

  • crazychristianchick

    If time and money were no object I'd want to put up youth and family centers all around my city, and then the state, and then the country, and then the world! I'd like to have safe places where kids can go for good clean fun. I'd like to have (free) places where parents can go to learn things that can help them parent better and more efficiently. I'd like to have places that focus on the importance of family and will become family to those who don't have one. I'd like to have places where people, churches, schools, and communties can come together to help others in need. Every time I see an empty building around my town (and there are a lot of them), I dream of how I'd love to fill it with kids, teens, parents, and volunteers. And then sometimes I think I just dream way too big…

  • Lauree

    I'm sorry I'm late in responding, though I'm just as inspired and excited by the sentiment now as I would have been in May when you originally wrote. I'm so glad that my question got you thinking…I look forward to following your discovery of the answers. Clearly from the other comments, you're writing inspires others to look inward too!