From the inimitable Wake Up Tiger:
The great affliction of our age is not the axis of evil -- it's the axis of mediocrity. We are far more likely to die from a lack of passion than from some great evil.
The BIG [elephant in the room] question then is: "So what the heck am I passionate about?"
What would you do if you weren't too busy working?
-- passion = that burning feeling
These are questions I have not pondered for a while now. Too busy as I have been with work! As they say there is no time like now, so here are my immediate responses:
"So what the heck am I passionate about?"
- People - the potential in individuals to be more than what external factors tell us we can be; the potential in the human species to transcend its pettiness and create truly amazing outcomes. The struggle against oppression, limitation, disempowerment and destruction of potential. Enabling the smallest, the least significant, and the least powerful to be more than they/the world thought they could be.
- Ideas - coming up with, talking about, generating, playing; as new ways of understanding the world, as new solutions to big and small problems, as new perspectives for greater social good.
- Education (in the broadest sense) - the creation, dissemination and consumption of knowledge; especially the potential to change individual lives. The struggle against the "wilful ignorance" of fundamentalist and ultra-conservative beliefs and practices. The enlightenment of individuals.
- Technology and design - new tools to shape the future with, to make worthwhile change with, new tools to do fun things with.
- Mastery over my own life - to live the best, richest, most interesting life possible - strictly by my definition and my rules. To only choose the things, people and situations that bring me lightness and joy and absolute "rightness" at each moment.
"What would I do if I weren't too busy working?"
- Travel - that trip to the Middle East is coming closer...
- Read - I need to make a dent in that pile of books next to my bed!
- Write - there are at least two fleshed-out book ideas waiting to be fed. Plus hundreds of blog posts...
- Think - about the stuff I read about.
- Paint - the blank canvases await.
- Do some more 3D work - purely for the visual and mental stimulation.
- Spend time with nature - just sit and be.
- Sleep - throwing the damned alarm clock away and honouring my natural circadian rhythm.
- Meditate - being with me.
- Exercise - actually having the time and energy to go to the gym and feel strong and fit again.
- Cook and eat real food.
- Meet interesting people - with non-conventional thinking, non-conformist attitudes, and out-of-this-world lives and projects!
That's all I can think of now.
This makes me feel GOOD!!!!
