My Passion

August 21, 2022

Good morning my friends.  I hope you are doing well and enjoying life.  What’s your passion?  When someone asks me this question, it evokes a strong feeling, desire, like or love for something that brings me great joy.  I have always been passionate about my career in law enforcement.  The dedication and devotion of my time with the LAPD remain strong and consistent today.  My service spanned half of my life.  It provided me the opportunity to assist others and make a difference in the world (or at least in my tiny corner of Los Angeles).  The trauma associated with my career was draining and often removed the emotion or love from my efforts.  Now my passions have grown and expanded, as I’ve released my past and trauma; opening my heart and soul to love.  The most important passion in my life is my daughter; including her welfare and happiness.  I love being her Dad, and cherish every moment and opportunity to assist her along the journey of life.  I’m passionate about my family and the people I love.  A person’s passion can range across a wide variety of activities or any number of things.  Your passion may be in music, art, writing, gardening, adventures, travel, cooking, fitness or many other pursuits or undertakings.  Determining where your passions are, will often assist you in discovering what may best suit you for a career, relationship or life.  When you feel strongly about a person, place or thing; take notice and trust your intuition.  Recognize what’s most important in life.  Allow your passion(s) to direct and guide you along your journey.  It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old; you can always reach for your dreams and live your passions.  Believing in yourself and that you can achieve anything, is half the battle.  A path filled with passion will lead you to your success.  

Running has been a passion of mine, since I first discovered the sensation of freedom it gave me in junior high school.  This source of exercise and release; remained with me throughout school, work, career and into retirement.  The feeling, and relief, it provided was beneficial for my entire well-being; mentally, spiritually and physically.  The exercise, or fitness, aspect of running built my strength, stamina and endurance.  It motivated me, increased my confidence and energized my body, mind and spirit.  The mental and spiritual benefits from this modality have always provided a calming and soothing quality not found elsewhere.  When the stress of life or anxiety from living felt overwhelming or dark; running was my “go to” resource for solace and reprieve from life. I still enjoy running; even now older and well into retired life.  It still provides a euphoric feeling, but it takes a little more physical effort these days.  I plan to keep running as long as I can, or at least while my body continues to cooperate and hold together.      

I just ran (and completed) another Ragnar Trail race yesterday.  The two-day team relay event was in Oregon at Mount Bachelor.  The beauty of the area is spectacular and invigorating.  The best part of this event was running and enjoying it with seven friends, both old and new.  The race camp site was situated at an elevation of 6500 feet.  The red trail loop took me up to nearly 7800 feet and incredible views.  Living near the ocean for the last dozen or more years, hasn’t been conducive to running at altitude or in the mountains.  I haven’t had an opportunity to go to the mountains to train; so let’s just say, this course and terrain kicked my ass!  As I’ve aged; it’s become clearly apparent how my stamina, strength and oxygen intake have deteriorated.  The pandemic and ensuing lock downs, masks and lack of training have definitely taken a toll on my physical body.  My mind and spirit say, “Let’s go,” but the means to achieve this act (with an older and semi-used body), isn’t an easy task.  The acceleration and longevity my body once had isn’t quite the same.  This means one thing; it’s time to modify my training, attitude and re-build.  I still have more to give and lots more adventures to experience.     

For many years, fitness has been my passion.  I enjoy the benefits it provides; for health, wellness and mental clarity.  I never fully understood or considered the meaning of “self-care,” until later in life.  Healing from work injuries and surgery, forced me to slow down.  Then I met someone, with an intuitive passion for life and healthy living.  I realized the importance of giving myself the love and care it needed and deserved.  Meditation and treating my body with affection became a daily practice.  Allowing myself the opportunity of time to relax and just breathe was monumental.  It’s interesting how much time and effort we spend (I spent) searching for happiness, passion or purpose.  These are traits already inside each of us.  Slowing down the speed of life, allowed me to discover myself and what I had been searching for.  The process helped me grow and develop.   I don’t worry about the past or years that slipped away; or what might have been.  I concentrate on the present and where I want my future to take me.  

I want to share an excerpt from a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910.  This simple segment made the speech famous: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…”   

Wherever your passions may lead you, don’t wait or hesitate to pursue them.  Humans often have a way of letting their thoughts (which don’t always tell us the truth) control their desires or actions.  Our minds have the ability to fabricate untrue stories, which can lead us to make decisions based on incorrect information.  When you control your thoughts, you control your life.  Live your passions and reach for your dreams.  If you stumble along the way, get up and keep moving forward.  You’ll never know what’s around the next corner, unless you continue to follow the path.  Enjoy each moment, make memories and cherish the journey.  Live life in gratitude, kindness and love.  This is your life, so live it without fear or hesitation.  It’s okay to take a break, relax, sit in silence and just breathe.  It’ll do your body good.  Follow your dreams.  They know the way.

Please tune in and join me again next Sunday for more!  The puzzle of life is always changing.  Change can lead to amazing opportunities.  Together, let’s be healthy and strong; mentally, physically and spiritually! 

Thanks for your love and support!  Embrace Life!  Be sure to get outside and enjoy nature!