Last night while I was on the elliptical at the gym,  my attention was drawn to one of the ‘multi-plex’ tv screens splashed out before me. The words “your passion chooses you'”  issued forth. An enthusiastic YES!  rolled through me, since that is one of my ultimate truths. Turns out, it was an ad for Kohl’s featuring a new fashion collection for which Marc Anthony is the spokesperson.  It wasn’t the clothes or even the dimpled smile of  the talented entertainer that had me dazzled. It was the feeling behind the affirmation. I have long known that I was born to be a communicator of thoughts and emotions. My mother used to say; with a twinkling, mischievous smile, that I started talking at age 6 months and hadn’t stopped since. These days, I am a bit more mindful of what I say and the impact it has on myself as the speaker and others as listeners, as the words move through me first.   I was weaned on words;  Little Golden Books, Highlights Magazine, Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twins series, dictionaries, encyclopedias, weekly trips to the library up the street from which we would bring stacks of books that felt like precious treasures filled our home. My parents would read to us and when we were old enough, my sister Jan and I would read to them. So, clearly I was not able to escape the delicious fate of becoming a writer. I showed aptitude early as my grades in English far surpassed those earned in Math class. Words were and still are, my passion. At my job as a social worker in an acute care pyschiatric hospital, my co-worker Peggy calls me ‘the queen of metaphor’ as I attempt to communicate concepts to those I serve in a creative manner so as to assist them in viewing their circumstances in more life affirming ways.

As life lives me, I am drawn to ways of  sharing my observations. How blessed I am to have outlets like this one to express what moves through me. I had this thought a few years ago that I was tapped as one of ‘God’s Typists’; certainly one of many (I’m not THAT grandiose:) and that I needed to do that role justice. I open myself to observation and no source is out of bounds for inspiration; including tv commercials, songs, animal messengers, relationships and other seemingly serendipitous occurrences. 

How many people settle for bland, passion-less existences? Some of the saddest experiences I have had at the aforementioned job are hearing patients tell me that the people who are or who have been in their lives (and may have died or left them) are the only ones that they will ever know and that the limited lives they are experiencing, is all that they can ever hope to have. I remind them that there is a whole world out there, waiting for them to step up and a whole bunch more people with whom to share love.  Remember that everyone we now know and love was once a stranger. I smile with delight when I think about the time when those I treasure weren’t even on my radar screen…until they showed up AND I giggle when I consider how many more are out there, awaiting each of our entry on our mutual ‘stage’.

As I embrace my passions, people who share that energy do show up each day. I am blown-away-amazed at the consistency of it. It is never any other way…it’s that simple AND that profound.  Last night on my way home from work, I stopped at the home of my dear friend and mentor Yvonne Kaye and her delightful partner of 23  years; John, affectionally referred to as “Himself”. I love looking around their space, since it is filled with eye drawing images of  family, photos of their world travels; Ireland being among their favorite destinations, books (lots of  ’em) and spiritual icons. With the excitement of a little kid, Yvonne showed me a Siamese cat meditating Buddha they had recently ordered via National Geographic  that sat in perfect stillness on their dining room table.  In conversation, as I was autographing my Bliss Book for them, I asked what it was that was their highest bliss; without batting an eyelash, it turns out that they each said it was the relationship that had sustained them all these years. These sweethearts in what most would consider their latter years, remain youthful in their minds. I happen to know too that Yvonne (a radio broadcaster for many years and amazing writer herself) shares my passion for the spoken and written word; expressed much of the time with poignancy and humor.

What would your life be like if you lived it FULL OUT , with passion and purpose?  What is your passion?  What sets your skin tingling and your soul singing?  Are you willing to dance into it?  I double dog dare you!

http://youtu.be/p5y0p-CjkVc  As my friend Jana Stanfield sings “That’s Your True Calling, Calling You” !