“While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die – whether it is our spirit, our creativity or our glorious uniqueness.”
(Gilda Radner)
I probably have my mother to thank for my neverending passion for life. Her and the myriad of self-help articles and books I’ve read over the past 20 years. She always taught me to never give up, to go for my dreams, and most of all, to believe in myself. She constantly reminded me to stay true to myself, to not conform to everyone else’s ideas, to lead, not follow.
I’ve taken those early lessons and put them into practice my entire life. If a job started to suck the joy from my life, I quit. If a person started to darken my optimistic ideas, I ended the relationship. Of course, I’m not immune to allowing the necessities of life (food, water, shelter) to push my passion to the side for a short amount of time, but I’ve always come back to what really gets me excited about life, and I refuse to allow materialistic pursuits to outweigh my dreams or kill my spirit.
Yeah, that means I’ll probably live in this old, fixer upper house for the next 20 years and I’ll drive the same car for 15 years and I won’t be able to compete in any fashion contests. But, I’ll get up every morning looking forward to that day’s events and I’ll be greeted with a loving, respectful smile from my daughter and I’ll be able to stop to enjoy the beautiful sunrise on a crisp, autumn morning. It’s a no-brainer choice for me because I understand the power of living a creative life, motivated by my passions.
It really is tragic to watch so many adults walking around half-dead inside. Many are so status hungry they’ve forgotten the true reason for what they wanted to do when they grew up. They’ve forgotten the pure joy bubbling up inside of them as a child while playing and dreaming of the day they’d build things or invent things or heal people. And I know for a fact, a lot of adults have totally forgotten the importance of things like fun and naps. Our spirits as children seem immature to the majority of the population when, really, a child’s spirit holds the key to sustaining the gift of life.
How many adults nowadays could have fun without spending a dime?
I daresay not a lot.
It really does make me sad to see people missing out on what’s truly important in life. We all start out super excited about the next possibility life has to offer us, and for some reason, along the way, we stop caring for that creative and unique part of ourselves. We don’t nurture it. We don’t feed it. We allow it to die a slow, miserable death, leaving a gaping hole in our souls, which we then attempt to fill with large salaries, fancy cars and “dream” homes.
I read an article the other day that really enlightened me as to the motivation in some areas of my life. The article, “Energize Your Life by Understanding Drive vs. Passion,” opened my eyes to the difference between my drive and my passion. I realized that many times in my work life I’ve allowed my strong work ethic and drive to overshadow my intense passions. It was the small reminder I needed to keep fighting for my dreams, to remain loyal to who I am, and most importantly, to never take for granted the life I’ve been gifted.
So I ask, are you leading the life you always dreamed of?
And I’m not talking about material junk. I’m talking about the dreams that give you goosebumps, that get you excited to get out of bed, that remind you how great life really is – are those the passions by which you’re being motivated? If they’re not, if you’re living the life you think you should live, then I invite you to resurrect your spirit, your creativity, your uniqueness by reconnecting with your dreams and passions.
This is a very uplifting post, Leah. I agree with so much that you have said. It’s all very true. Am I leading the life I always dreamed of? In some respects, very much so. I sometimes feel as though I am just on the very tip of what’s to come and I am anxiously awaiting what will follow.
Awesome! If you feel like you’re on the cusp of living the life you’ve always dreamed of, then for sure keep moving forward and doing what you’re doing. If you’re feeling anxious, embrace that anxiety. I’m reading a book called Fearless Creating by Eric Maisel, Ph.D. and it’s given me a new perspective on the anxieties and anxious feelings we have as artists. From what I’ve read recently on your blog, you’re on the right path for your personal creative journey, so keep it up.