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Find Your Passion

Have you ever seen someone actually light up when they discuss something?  You probably notice it most often when you ask someone about their child.  Their eyes sparkle and you are engaged whether you've met the child or not.  It is because the person is speaking about their passion and they are more persuasive and engaging because of it.

I attended a program last night with Robin Gerber, author of Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way, and I was struck at once by two separate instances of how following one's passion can guide your work.

The first example was in the story of how Eleanor found her passion working to improve the lot of others.  The second was in how Robin found her passion writing about Eleanor.

I learned to respect Eleanor Roosevelt's life and work, because she was an amazing woman with every opportunity and excuse to live it up without regard to consequences.  And yet, through it all, she found a way to contribute to the world and to give her life meaning.

I also learned to look around me for people who are contributing to the world now by following their passion.  Do you know someone who is doing this?  What words would you use to describe them when they are in that mode (engaged, creative, energetic, passionate, makes me want to join!)?  How would it make you feel to have someone use those words to describe you?  Now, what makes your eyes sparkle and how can you spend more of your life working in that area?

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