Where to Start... Where to Start...

So, the ball dropped last night in New York (although the viewers of ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve apparently missed it due to some untimely promotion of the homosexual agenda, from what I read).  I made a big declaration that Krystal and I were going to spend 2014 pursuing the things that stir up passion and creativity within us.  We're excited about the prospects of personal growth and adventure that this focus will deliver.  

There's just one problem:  Where do we start?

I mean, it's one thing to quietly make a resolution or set a goal, but when you announce it publicly, there's pressure, man!  We just can't let this thing slide!  So, off we drove to our local Michaels store, where Krystal purchased some canvases and paint.  While we were there, Krystal spotted a nifty little decorative mirror that listed for $29.99, but was marked down to just $6.  In the basket it went, and we perused the aisles of raffia ribbon, pencils, and Martha Stewart decoupage kits.  We both like to paint, and Krystal has a very nice artistic eye.  (I think it's the left one.)

As we checked out, the clerk filled us in on how she had considered calling in sick for the day, but had decided to tough it out.  She rang us up and Krystal's mirror cost just $0.01!  Heck, if I'd known that, I would've had her redecorate the whole house in those little oval mirrors!  Happy New Year to us!

So, I don't know what Krystal's going to put on those canvases.  They're kind of long and narrow, which makes them far more interesting than the standard 16 x 20 ones I typically buy.  I can't wait to see what she does with them.  Right now they're sitting on her easel, on top of a half-finished piece I periodically work on.  It's a semi-silhouette of a dandelion blossom.  I think you'd call it the blossom.  You know, the part that has the little seeds attached to the fuzzy parachute-like things that the kids blow on to make my yardwork harder.  Guess I'll have to finish that painting soon.  Maybe it'll be done by dandelion season.  We'll see.

I am eager for spring to arrive.  I can't wait to put my new camera to good use.  Missouri, in my opinion, isn't the prettiest state in the country, but spring and fall are both pretty nice for photography.  With my new job and its really nice schedule, I should be able to get my photography business off the ground.  Eventually, perhaps, we'll be able to live solely off the income from photoshoots.  Who knows?  (By the way, if you're in southwest Missouri and would like to volunteer as a subject for one of my springtime shoots, drop me an email and we'll talk!)

I read a quote today that really inspired me.  "The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, and gives you a sense of meaning, joy and passion."  Terry Orlick was right.

Lord, You've placed within each of us certain triggers.  It's as if when we find that thing that we were created to do, a new energy and vitality begins to burn hot within us.  Those desires and those activities are intimately tied to the calling You have placed upon us, as You have provided us not just the tools for the task ahead, but the passion to use those tools.  May we passionately pursue the life into which You've called us.  May we honor You with our pursuit of a passionate life.

"It's not the length of life, but the depth of life." Ralph Waldo Emerson

What an uplifting way to start a blog about pursuing passion!  This would have gotten me kicked out of Marketing 101!  Ah, well... I'm nothing if not unconventional.  Read along with me and I think you'll see where I'm going with this.

There's going to come a day for most of us when our name will be etched into a stone tablet similar to the one pictured above.  Below our names will be a set of dates: the date of our birth and the date of our death.  We have little to no control over either of these numbers.  Though we often convince ourselves that we are invincible, we all have a shelf-life.  

So much attention is paid to those numbers, yet they are merely book-ends.  Between them lie the myriad experiences that make up a life.  It's that little hyphen... a dash... a simple line that represents the whole of our journey here on earth.

So, my question to you is, what are you going to do with that hyphen?  With what do you intend to fill the space between those two dates?

I'm forty-four years old.  When I was younger I had huge dreams.  I planned to be living a whole different life by now.  Though many of those dreams and plans were unrealistic, as I look back over more than two-score years, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I'd made the most of all that time.

Well, today we begin a new year.  My wife and I have determined that 2014 is going to be a year in which we unashamedly and uninhibitedly learn more about what makes us tick.  We are embarking on a journey in which we plan to discover what really stirs up passion within us.

We each have different learning styles.  Different things light a fire within us.  I love to write and take photos.  I love to put pencil to paper and design things the old fashioned way.  You might thrive on working with animals. Maybe it's machinery.  Or, perhaps, you like to sew or create handicrafts.  We all have passions.

In 2014, my wife and I have agreed to pursue those passions with wild abandon.  We are going to emerge from 2014 with a new understanding of what really makes us feel alive.  We intend to enjoy 2014 more because we intend to steer our vessel in the direction of happiness.  We will try new things.  We will not be so wrapped up in the practical that we forget to explore our creative sides.  We will no longer drift from new year to new year.  Rather, we ill begin to work the rudder to guide us in the direction of our passion.

All that to say this:  We want you to join us.  I'll be posting periodically about this journey and the adventures that come along with it.  I hope you'll join us for the laughter and the learning.  Perhaps it will inspire you to try new things, as well.  Perhaps you'll venture beyond the boundaries of what you've always been told you should be doing and step into that magical place your heart was created to take you.