One night on PBS I heard a psychologist say that if you are struggling to find your passion as an adult, you should look to your childhood years - about age 12. The things that captivated you then are the things you should be paying attention to now.
Wow. Most everything interested me then. About that time I followed Dad as he was building onto the house and loved using every tool he would allow me to try. I carried a little reel to reel tape recorder and loved creating novelty shows with my siblings as the cast. I directed a play I had written at school. I discovered the guitar. A neighbor and I fixed up the tennis court behind the school so we could play. I rarely walked in the woods; I had to run the paths. It was about then that the fire phone was installed in our house with Dad as the chief of the local volunteer department and we had to know what to do when it rang. We were encouraged to volunteer to raise money for the heart association and the cancer society. I loved camping with the family and all the extended family gatherings.
So, it is no wonder today that I love tinkering in my little workshop making cigar box guitars or mending instruments. I have a job I love where I help people use technology to create and distribute their messages. I believe in volunteering and giving. I love getting outdoors - maybe not running the paths any more - but out. I love sharing life with people who share those passions.
I don't know if age 12 is a magic number but what that psychologist said has stuck with me. Look to a time when your worries were few and your passions were clear. Then make your worries few and your passions clear. Surround yourself with those who support and encourage just that.
And I add a thank you to those who do - you know who you are. Life is good!
No comments:
Post a Comment