There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela
So today, I will try to be bold. I do not want to settle — but I want to embrace all the life has to offer.
Tag Archives: passion
Following a dream
How do you know you’ve found something that you are passionate about? For me, it is when I am pursuing a dream. For instance, there are so many places I want to see in the world. As I start to plan a journey, I can feel the emotions and the passion start to rise — the dream of standing next to the Uffington Horse, of seeing a great masterpiece like the Degas Little Dancer, or of watching the sun set on Table Mountain. Making these dreams a reality is a passion.
Don’t dream it — live it!
How do you discover a passion?
Many times I’ve found myself wondering what really interests me — or worse yet, I find that I am bored, restless, not sure what to do. The question of finding something that drives me, that inspires me, or just lights up my world is a never-ending journey. But I am starting to recognize when the “spark” is lit. This usually occurs when I become so engrossed in what I am doing that time slips away — the “monkey brain” that chatters in the background finally shuts down and I find that I am truly present in the moment.
I had one of those moments last night during my tango classes. For 90 minutes, the only importance for me was the connection I had to each partner, each piece of music, each step — and the space in between. At the time, I did not notice anything else. It was only after, as I struggled into winter boots and coat that I realized that all my focus and energy had one purpose — connecting with the dance.
I think this is one way to describe finding passion.
The quiet moment
Being tired right now makes it hard to concentrate on what inspires me, but here are my thoughts to the day. One thing I am trying to do is focus on the moment – the here and now – and the result is a quieting of the brain and the thoughts the race through filling the empty spaces. I feel there is a need each day to open the mind to this quietness and just be in the moment. It is from this space that I can learn to find inspiration.
Finding Passion
I’m still on the topic of passion and tango. I think for most people, tango is one example of a very passionate dance — one filled with emotion. I’ve wanted to learn how to dance tango for a while, however it wasn’t until I started taking lessons that I could even glimpse at the heart of the passion that is tango. The dance is a communication between two people on a very physical level. When you achieve a balance and a sense of trust — that is where the magic happens! It is not in the showing steps, no matter how intricate and unique, but in the underlying move — and response. After seeing a professional tango show, I could almost be intimidated to ever learn the dance. That is until I saw one of the older men leading his partner and when I saw the female singer dance a few steps with one of the dancers. In both cases, there was a magical connection between the partners.
In one of my classes, the women were told to dance with their eyes closed and just let the man lead you. For me, that was the time I felt I truly tapped into this magical centre or heart of tango. For me, this is the true passion of tango and what I am striving to learn.
A Year of Inspiration and Passion
This is my challenge for 2011 — a daily blog where I share examples, experiences or feelings regarding passion and the things that inspire me to passionate pursuits. Nothing is more inspiring to me than when I see someone who has found their life’s passion. This journey I embark is one where I will write about things that inspire me — and see where these inspirations lead to passion.
Since I am in Buenos Aires, I should write about Tango. Everyone talks about the passion that is expressed in this dance. then people talk about how hard it must be to learn. All I can say is that I am enjoying the journey to learn how to tango. So far, I have found it to be about sharing energy with another person for the purpose of expressing the emotion of the music. The hardest thing for me is there is no “counts” like 1,2,3. There are steps, but the “counting” that I am used to doing just does not work as the rhythm changes as the man leading the dance moves through the steps to match the emotion of the song and the energy of the couple. A friend suggested I read the boo the Tao of Tango — and I am so glad of this recommendation! There is a balance between the man and the woman — the lead and the follower –the creates the magic that is tango. It may also create changes in my life as well!
Always remember to dance as if no one was watching — share your joy!
