Archives for November 2015

So this #PassionPlayers feature is neat in that it was actually this series that introduced me to Ms. Leggio. She thought it was a cool series and enjoyed some of the other profiles I posted, so I invited her to play, and here we are 🙂 Jennifer put a lot of thought into these answers – check ’em out!

I think I started hearing about Scott Monty about a year or two into my social media experience. Everyone kept talking about how he was a great social media role model, and what he was doing at and for Ford was really something everyone should take note of as they struggled with their own social media marketing campaigns. I thought it was interesting that for all of the compliments, Scott didn’t seem to be one of those folks who had to remind everyone how awesome he was via blog posts or tweets. He just did his job and did it well.

I have had the great privilege of getting to know Scott a bit better over the last few years and have found him to be thought-provoking, way too smart, and extremely kind. Add to that the fact that he is a bigger Sherlock nut than me by a large margin and you know why I wanted to feature him here.

1. How do you define “passion”?
To me, passion is something that gets your heart racing, something that can get you motivated even when you really don’t feel like doing anything. We all face the drudgery of some tasks from time to time, but when you’re so interested in something that you lose track of time or other responsibilities – that’s passion.

2. What is your passion?
I have a few, but the one that has taken priority for many years is my interest in Sherlock Holmes. To some, this may seem like another literary character, but for me, it has opened up a whole world of friendship, scholarship and technological tinkering (the last of which is also a passion of mine).

3. How do you know that this was a passion and not just a passing interest?
For me, it clicked when I discovered how many other people shared this interest. Not only were there massive amounts of books about the topic, but I discovered an underground network of individuals across the country (and later across the globe) who were also interested in Sherlock Holmes. Our shared passion means that we always have other people to connect with.

4. How do you make sure you follow your passion and nurture it?
Oddly enough, in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Watson poses as a collector of Chinese pottery in order to infiltrate the home of the antagonist, who is an expert on the topic. When quizzed about his deficiency of knowledge, Watson excuses it with his busy medical practice. The villain’s reply sums up my feelings about nurturing your passion: “That is no answer. If a man has a hobby he follows it up, whatever his other pursuits may be.”

So f​or me, part of it is connecting with other people to fuel that passion, and constantly finding ways to express my own interest. That has meant creating I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, a website and podcast dedicated to Sherlock Holmes.

5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to follow their passion?
Find other people who share your interest and a place (online or offline) where you can meet to discuss it together. A passion without someone to share it with is an addiction.

From there, you’ll get ideas about how to harness your energy and do something with it, like writing a book, exploring a new place, or building something. Having some sort of proof of accomplishment – whether it’s a stamped passport, a website, a magazine, or photos of an experience – is a great way to demonstrate the value of your passion.

6. Anything else you want to say?
Thank you for being so passionate about what you do! It’s great to be able to share a story with someone who’s interested in hearing about it.

I met Susan quite serendipitously on Twitter a few years ago. She was looking for help on Twitter and I happened to see her tweet, so I jumped in. From that point on, we have developed a friendship just as purty as Susan’s roses 🙂 As it happens, Susan is a highly skilled and respected rosarian, so I think I have learned more from her than she ever could learn from me. Susan is one of the sweetest and most passionate people I know, so I hope you enjoy her answers here as much as I did!

1. How do you define “passion”? 

A: Passion is a force greater than you, a calling. One morning I didn’t feel like going outside and yet I knew I ‘had to’ take a picture of ‘Legend’ because the moment would be lost if I did not. Nature is perpetually in motion and that motion and light changes everything every second. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity states that in the time it has taken to write this sentence the room around me has changed. How much more does a blossom change in a minute, an hour, a day?  My passion is a compulsion.

2. What is your passion?

A: Rose growing, gardening, photographing and writing about moments in the garden and sharing it with people, often times with a sense of humor. Showing folks in pictures the beauty that surrounds us in simple pleasures.  Also educating folks that if they want to grow roses they too can do it.  I realize that at any given moment I may be the only witness to an event that will never come again. I feel it’s an obligation to share that moment with as many people as I can.

3. How did you know that this was a passion and not just a passing interest?

A: My Mother’s favorite flowers were peonies. They bloom first in the spring in Northern Illinois so she wanted me to apply bone meal around the peonies first and get them ready for the spring bloom. I realized roses might be my passion when I just wanted to hurry up with the peonies to get to the roses. Now I love peonies and just about everything that grows.

4. How do you make sure you follow your passion and nurture it?

A: You will know when you are following your passion because your passion whisks you along with it. A passion is a driving force, and the fuel for passion is generosity and sharing. The more you give it away the more it comes back to you and grows in ways that one cannot measure.  
5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to find or follow their passion?

A: We all know children ask difficult questions and a child asked him a very difficult question. What was God doing before the creation? The Pope pondered the question and knowing that God is Love, Pope Francis said: paraphrased a bit, “God was loving. I can say to you to find your passion, love. Love persons, animals, plants, places or things and you will find your passion. Because the Pope also said “God is beauty”. Whatever name for a creator you believe in I know we can agree on that statement. Roses and the garden connect me to the creation in ways nothing else can and thereby connects me to you.
6. Anything else you want to say?

Thank-you Margie for asking me to share about my passion. The passion and generosity of spirit of Margie and in folks I have met through Margie has multiplied the love and caring I have seen in so many ways and any way that I can show people about the beauty of sharing my passion I am more than happy to do so.

Editor’s note – Susan’s very kind words were in fact unsolicited 🙂