PassionPlayers

#PassionPlayers Ty Sullivan

I feel like I have known Ty forever, but in reality I think we have only been friends for five years. I met him via the illustrious #usguys tribe on Twitter, for which I am thankful. Everything Ty says below explains why I wanted to highlight him, but what he doesn’t talk about is how he works tirelessly on behalf of No Kid Hungry. It is a great cause and he does a great job pushing the message without being pushy. Here are Ty’s answers to the magical six questions 🙂

1. How do you define “passion”?

Passion is that euphoric moment when the universe, your private universe mind you, balances its self due to an action that completes you has been accomplished. It’s a warmth that takes control of our bodies and minds when something we know is a part of our chemical make up is satisfied.

2. What is your passion?

My passion is singing, making others feel good, making humans smile and making someone feel like they just had a WOWnderful moment are several of mine. To limit ourselves to one passion is robbing ourselves of so many chances to elevate our body and minds need to pacify the passion in us all.

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

These are things that are just who am I am. Now, clearly we go through moments of fleeting passions like collecting items that give us joy (baseball cards, Star Trek things, rose petals in between book pages) but they all fulfill the passion. As long as we keep our core passionate items it’s OK to add to it and subtract to it as is it all comes into play with each other internally.

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

I practice it everyday. I make it a part of my routine. Actually “make it” and “practice” is more chore sounding when it comes to passions. I allow myself to do these things that are my passion so that I feel whole. I do this by hosting a comedy formatted trivia gig twice weekly so I can get out there, show who I am and make people smile and feel good through humor and connecting with them. Making them part of an experience through humor and challenging the mind. Also, a day doesn’t go by that I don’t do something that gives back to the universe through a good deed. It can be as simple as re-posting a project a friend on social media is passionate about or stopping to make sure the homeless person you see daily has a buck or a soup.

5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to find or follow their passion?

We all have something that floats our boat. something that gives us a hint of joy. If you are unsure how to channel your passion take some quiet time to sit and reflect on it.

Start a slideshow in your mind of all the things you like to do, things you like to engage in and see how your body reacts as those images pass through your mind. Did your lips grin a little on one particular one? Did your heart race a bit more on another? If they did then hit “save” on them mentally and those are things that you are probably very passionate about.

6. Anything else you want to say?

Passion is what keeps us alive. So many people feel passionless or that they don’t have anything to be passionate about and that can be a recipe for issues that may need further addressing to avoid depression and other darker things and places.

Find your passion and find others who share in that same passion as it leads to community, safety and most of all LOVE.

#PassionPlayers Steve Brightman

by Margie Clayman

I met Steve close to ten years ago in my old hometown of Akron, Ohio. I learned pretty quickly that Steve is an extremely gifted poet, but I also got the privilege to learn what a kind and smart person he is, so bonus! Steve embodies passion to me because he has been committed to publishing a poem every single day to his Facebook page. To me, that is living out your passion. Here are Steve’s answers to my questions.

1. How do you define “passion”?

Something that moves you to action. that isn’t necessarily be a positive action; plenty of people act with passion to their own detriment (and society’s).

2. What is your passion?

My wife, my life, my family, my writing, baseball, my job. For the purpose of this discussion, we’ll limit that to writing.

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

I knew it was a passion when I tried giving it up for about five years and it wouldn’t let me. I was dormant and not real productive during that time, but the bug was always there. I’m writing now (every day), so it came back at me with a vengeance.

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

I set aside time. We have 1440 minutes a day. setting aside 60 for something that is important doesn’t seem like that great of a sacrifice, but it can be. You have to gift 60 to yourself (#gift60 is my one-person movement)

5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to find or follow their passion?

You give time to everyone you know. for want of money, for want of love, for want of quiet. give time to yourself for what moves you.

6. Anything else you want to say?

Let yourself be moved.

#passionplayers – Molly Cantrell-Kraig

by Margie Clayman

When I thought about the concept of starting a conversation about passion here on my blog, I knew that one of the people I would most want to hear from would be Molly Cantrell-Kraig. Lo and behold, she is kicking off the series! I have known Molly for about five years now (although unfortunately we have not met in person….yet…) and she embodies passion so far as I am concerned. Her work for Women with Drive Foundation has always inspired me.

I asked Molly six questions, which are the questions all #PassionPlayers recipients will receive. I loved her answers – I think you will too.

1. How do you define “passion”?

Passion is a smoldering, sustaining energy. It’s a fuel that may ebb, but it never goes away.

2. What is your passion?

Helping people become themselves. There’s something humbling and miraculous about partnering with another to co-create his or her future. We are mirrors of each other, and when we can connect with those along the way to help us recognize and develop our higher selves, that’s a sacred transaction.

I can’t think of anything more invigorating.

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

It wouldn’t go away. Opportunities to help people become themselves kept on popping up in my life, like some cosmic Whack-A-Mole. The tools and partners I needed to move forward would show up when needed. Furthermore, when things were looking their bleakest and I would think of giving up, some glimmer of hope would always present itself.

Think of it as being in a dark room and thinking that you’re going to be trapped inside forever, and then seeing a sliver of light from a door, slightly ajar. The slant of illumination beckoning from beyond the doorway always served as a thread to my next iteration.

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

I learned how to be quiet, shut out the chorus of Others and attuned myself to my higher voice. Learning this was an excruciating process, because the valley of the shadow of death is a lonely place. A great poem about this stripping away is Theodore Roethke’s “In a Dark Time.”

I also have a group of friends to whom I refer as My Inner Sanctum Crazy Margaret Mead People. These folks are the angels in my life who remind me that I’m not crazy and this will all work out. These are they who remind me of what I’ve already accomplished and encourage me to keep going. They see my blind spots and give me opportunities to grow.

In terms of following your passion, I love Steve Jobs’s quote about learning how to say “no.” Building your passion can be a selfish act, and you must be ruthless about saying no to things that drain and distract you from your ultimate goal.

5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to find or follow their passion?

Shift your brain to its Possibility Setting. Most of us are born with this setting as our default, but as we progress through school and careers, the switch gets flipped to “Fear and Risk.” Ask yourself a few questions:

• What is something I do without thinking that others marvel at my ability to do/accomplish?

• What are activities that I do where I lose track of time or forget to eat?

• When I serve on boards or volunteer, which task is usually mine?

• Ask aloud, “Please show me what’s possible.”

• Speak aloud, “I am willing to recognize opportunity.”

• ALWAYS thank people for helping you, no matter how insignificant their assistance may seem. Gratitude is fuel. Passion thrives on it.

6. Anything else you want to say?

I’m working with an expert on impact investing to develop the next stage of WWDF. During one of our meetings, he said, “You do realize what you’re doing for women through WWDF you could be doing for individuals as part of a coaching business?”

His observation startled me into laughter. “Of course! … Of course I could!” was my answer. So our passions don’t change necessarily. They manifest and morph into different forms. Since he and I chatted, I’ve begun to help people become themselves by working with them to navigate transitions, be they personal or business. For those who would like to know more about working directly with me, ping me at infoplease.lodestar@gmail.com.

A new project – #PassionPlayers

by Margie Clayman

Do you find passion contagious? I certainly do. When someone starts talking about something and you see that look in their eyes – I love that. When you read something and you feel the person shaking your shoulders through the book or the screen – I love that. Passion may be an overused word that has lost its meaning, but I would like to revive it. I would like to learn what your passions are, how you define “passion,” and more.

To that end, I am starting a project I am calling #PassionPlayers. If you want to participate, all you have to do is send me an email or any place you would prefer I send you a few questions. I will write up a post for your review and then publish it. In this way, I hope that we can share our passions together and perhaps learn how we can support each others’ passions as well.

I already have one volunteer, and that post will be coming out soon. I would love to hear from YOU! Comment below if you are interested 🙂

Image credit:https://www.flickr.com/photos/ramsd/8471247379/ via Creative Commons.

PassionPlayers

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