Passion, Compassion and the Lies that Beset Us

Let's start with passion.  Passion is always a good beginning.

Webster is always a good place to start when you want to start at the beginning so here goes;

pas·sion

noun \ˈpa-shən\

: a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something
: a strong feeling (such as anger) that causes you to act in a dangerous way

: a strong sexual or romantic feeling for someone

Omg- when we were younger, stronger, bolder and more adventurous did we not feel the passion??  if you still have passion in your life, please, please, please do not for one second take that raw, in your gut, emotion for granted!!  Embrace it, write about it, tattoo it on your butt cheek!  Just do not disillusion yourself that it will always fall so easily like raindrops on the rooftop!

Is there a lover you crave? K D Lang said it so simply but the yearning in her voice made it very clear, this was a lover who like crack, was a tough addiction to kick.

Even through the darkest phase
Be it thick or thin
Always someone marches brave
Here beneath my skin

Constant craving
Has always been

Google it, its on YouTube I'm sure...you can hear the desire in her voice - amazing - but the point is, a passion that becomes a constant craving. Do you get it?  A craving. Like if I don't get that thing I crave I'm gonna go mad!  I have known a few passions in my day. Some were people, some were places, some were things, but as I grow older I HAVE TO ADMIT passion seems more risky, more scary and really, to be honest, more damn work!

So if you do the math (and most of us do without even thinking about it) what is easy to be passionate about as we age?  Why not choose food?  It is instant gratification. It is something you can do alone or in a crowd. Some foods are by popular opinion "even better than sex."  And it is readily available and acceptable to build a passion around!! 

The problem is - that passion will lead you to ruin. The really good cooks who are wholly passionate about food and non discerning about calories are all fat. There you have it! 

You can make food your passion but you must temper it with restraint and judgment which seem completely counter-productive to passion, if you ask me. So if food is my passion, I'm gonna be passionate about healthy food only.  I'm gonna be picky but even so - I must look at the bigger picture!

The point?  WE MUST FIND THINGS WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT DO NOT INVOLVE CALORIES!!!!!

Enter Compassion.

What say ye Webster?

com·pas·sion

noun \kəm-ˈpa-shən\

: a feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc.

CloseStyle: MLA APA Chicago

Full Definition of COMPASSION

:  sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it

— com·pas·sion·less \-ləs\ adjective

 If you are looking for the passion you once had but lost, don't look in the pantry, look in the eyes of those in need. In my opinion, as we age we get bored of meeting our own selfish needs and it takes looking outward to stir our passion. We may get cheap, quick thrills from those things that fill our inbox but hey, what does a sensory overload do for us besides overload our senses? 

In caring about others and trying to contribute to a bigger stage - the world- we often find our caring for those less fortunate is feeding our soul in ways our passion never could.

So let compassion steer your passion!  Care about others, look outward instead of inward and find a cause that lights your fire! No matter how big or small - do something good for humanity.  Your compassion = passion and you will receive more than you give in this formula of giving.


and lastly, the ugliness of lies.

We saw a great man give up the fight this week. A passionate businessman, a man I knew and respected, believed the ugliest of lies and took his own life.  Business failed, wife gone, life in the ditch! This is the second life I have seen end in tragedy this year and it is only April.  THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. DO NOT GROW WEARY DOING THE RIGHT THING.

Find your  passion, it may be buried up somewhere in your compassion and people, no matter what the scale says, or the doctor says, or the spouse says, or the friends say and don't say, NEVER believe the lie that all hope is gone.  THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. Even in Job the tree that was cut down shall sprout again,  Find you passion, find your compassion, believe in HOPE - forget the LIES.

For Ken.

That's All ~ Thanks Y'all!