Live Life for Your Passions

Live life for passion. If the passion is a hobby, your job, your family, or all three. Or something completely different. It doesn’t matter. As long as you have something in life that excites you, makes you and others happy, and is worthwhile, then you have all you need. This word passion should not be thrown around lightly. People can have many hobbies, foods they like, and organizations they support. This doesn’t mean they are all passions. A passion in my opinion is distinguished from a simple hobby in that you could really do without certain hobbies and be ok. If a passion was taken away, on the other hand, your life would be irrevocably altered for the worse. A piece of your identity would be gone.

Take one of my passions: music. If I were not able to play the saxophone ever again, I would be saddened. If I couldn’t compose music I’d be devastated. If I couldn’t listen to music, I’d go nuts. Music is a part of who I am. It is a crucial aspect of my identity. I need it for creative expression, for emotional release, for listening enjoyment, the list goes on. It is not just something I do or enjoy. One statement that I feel is true about myself is, “I am a musician”. Is a passion the same thing as a calling? I think it can be. I am called to music in many ways. I don’t feel the need to make it my career and that demonstrates how one’s calling doesn’t have to be their career.

I am envious of those people who are talented enough to make music their career. My idol John Williams, for example. To be able to compose the music that millions of people around the world can hear and automatically remember the movies the music came from…that would be sweet. John Williams wrote the music for Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T., Harry Potter, Jaws, and Indiana Jones just to name a few of the most popular. I am certainly envious of his ability. But, I don’t beat myself up over it because I get incredible joy from listening, creating, and performing music even if it is just me, myself, and I who hears it.

As Omaha deals with the tragedy of the Westroads Mall shootings, let us keep in our thoughts and prayers those people who died and the people who mourn them. But let this also be a reminder to us all that life is precious. If we are not living for our passions then we need to straighten out our priorities. In this season of giving, may we also use our passions in a way that contributes to the good of our families, friends, and community. If we are passionate about music, may that come out in a giving way this season. Maybe that is something as simple as caroling for the homebound or folks at a nursing home. It may not be easy to do, but why not use our passions for not only our own happiness, but the happiness of others as well? That is what this season should be about.