Photo by Cox Sports Marathon
What are Passions?
If you look in the dictionary, or on wikipedia, passions are described as everything from a strong emotional state, to anger, greed, lust, or other deadly sins. Though these my be historically accurate, on Graduated And Clueless we want to focus on the strong, positive emotions that get you excited about life. REALLY EXCITED! In my own life, passion is something that I stumble upon, something usually unexpected, and surprisingly amazing. For example, I am an avid runner. I love long distance running, especially marathons. This passion of mine was not something I was born with or had beaten into me by a track coach. Though I did run track and play soccer for many years, it wasn’t until I started running on my own during college that I discovered my love for the sport. I began running because I was fat. Not super obese, but definitely out of shape and in need of a total body makeover. I started running a half a mile per day, monday through friday. I then increased my distance by a half a mile per day, every week. Within a few weeks I was running 4-5 miles a day and getting in really great shape. When I ran my first 6-mile run, I was hooked. For some reason, that initial 6-miler turned me on to running like nothing else before it. I didn’t see it coming, and I never expected to turn that experience into a marathon the very next year. My passion was born.
My hope is that you have a passion that is as strong or stronger than my desire to run. Passions make you excited, they get your blood pumping, and they make every day worth living. Sound corny? Good. Because passions are real, they’re meaningful, and they help to establish your place in the world. To discover your own passion you can do what I did, start doing something. Start running, start dancing, join a new club, hang out with people who share a common interest . . . you get the point. Ultimately, passions should be what dictate your career decisions, your hobbies, your friends, and your lifestyle. I like to define myself with some key descriptors that I think help establish my existence: entrepreneur, runner, writer, and organization guru. These are four areas of my life that dictate how I live, and they don’t change very often. How does giving fit into the picture? Let’s break it down.
The Power of Giving
Bill Clinton wrote a book a few years ago entitled, “Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World.” In his book, Clinton describes how everyone can give and he lists numerous examples from people all over the world, from all walks of life, who are able and willing to give of themselves for the benefit of someone else. Passions and giving have a lot in common. Those who give the most tend to be wildly passionate about what they’re doing. Givers are people who devote their energy, time, money, and abilities to lift up another person, group, or cause. More importantly, givers make a conscious effort every day to find ways they can help.
Giving can be impulsive, but it’s best when it’s habitual, when it’s a lifestyle.
One day I hope that I will have the courage to list giving as one of those descriptors of my life, along with everything else I’m involved with and passionate about. Being a giving person isn’t a title someone else gives to you, it’s a label you earn yourself through your own acts of kindness and generosity. Becoming a giving person is one my life goals, a goal that I focus on every day. Right now I can’t afford to donate millions of dollars to charity, or work full-time helping a homeless shelter, but I CAN give something. I CAN use my passions to benefit others now. From the little things I can do today, to the big things I hope to accomplish tomorrow, giving is a lifestyle, and one I plan to continue indefinitely.
Start Giving and Discover Your Passion
If you’re struggling with trying to identify what you’re truly passionate about, don’t sweat it. Just get out and start giving. One of the greatest ways to find meaning and purpose in life is to help others. Whether it be directly through your career, like working for a non-profit agency, teaching, providing healthcare, etc., or whether you volunteer on the weekends, getting started with giving is the first step. The mission statement of Graduated And Clueless is to help others discover their passion, pursue their career, and transform their lives. Giving is a wonderful way to ignite that process. Start giving today, identify your passion, and don’t hold back as you leap forward into new adventures that could develop into a profitable and fulfilling career andlifestyle.
Turn Your Current Passion into Generosity
In 2008, I completed my first marathon in Providence, Rhode Island and raised money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which provides free healthcare for children with catastrophic childhood diseases. The photo above is me crossing the finish line wearing my St. Jude jersey. My wife, Tessa, worked as a fundraiser for St. Jude in their Watertown, Massachusetts office during grad school and she convinced me to run the marathon. Though the weather was gross that day, the experience was phenomenal! It’s easy to push forward knowing you’re helping children who would give anything to be in your shoes. Because of our experiences in helping St. Jude, we have made their organization the official charity of Graduated And Clueless. 10% of ALL profits from Graduated And Clueless are donated directly to St. Jude. St. Jude is a fantastic organization and I can’t imagine a better charity to support through our business and our personal lives. If you would like to find out more about how you can support St. Jude, visit our page here. Thanks in advance for your generosity!
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
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The Clueless Graduate,
Jeff Sanders
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Very inspirational post, Jeff. While giving just for giving is never a bad thing, I agree that giving to a cause that you are passionate about adds an extra layer of purpose, making it much more likely that you will continue to support the cause in the future.
Well done. Thoughtful and true. It’s amazing how often we stumble into our true passions. We take tests and aptitude surveys, only to find that our real passions were right there under our noses.
Hi Jeff,
This is my first time here and…
You’re a liar.
You don’t look that clueless at all
“Start running, start dancing, join a new club, hang out with people who share a common interest . . . ”
Careful to stick to something long enough before deciding. A passion can be like beer. Too sour at first, then you end up an alcoholic… Er, not that I advocate alcoholism but you see what I mean.
Congratulations on your top 100!
When you give something away, or provide a service for someone else, you provide space in your life for God to give you more.