Today’s Guest Contributor is Johanna! Johanna grew up in the Chicago suburbs and eventually made her way to Seattle to start her career in the airline industry. She currently lives in Denver and threatens weekly to quit her job and follow her passion. She has a deep love for animals; especially the ugly un-housebroken kind. She is the mother of several rodents, birds, and a dog named Gimley. Someday she hopes to work for an organization protecting and saving animals of the world. Welcome to Umbrella Blog Johanna!
(Photograph by Jamie)
In the United States, we have EVERYTHING: food on every corner (practically), 24 hour gyms, movie theaters, shopping malls, national parks, parks for our dogs, all the latest ‘gadgets’, hundreds of colleges and universities, beaches, mountains, deserts, a rain forest, George Clooney… One would think that we would be the healthiest, most productive, happiest people on the Planet. Yet ‘Americans’ are known for being clinically over-weight, depressed, materialistic and….well, I’ll end it there. I’m very defensive and hate that my fellow citizens and I are classified in this way by the majority of the world. And more importantly, I hate that it’s (in many cases) true. Why are we so unhappy/unsatisfied/frustrated?!?!
Why are we this way, when we have so many wonderful opportunities surrounding us at every turn? When we have beautiful Rocky Mountains, fascinating city sky lines, drive through coffee stands? Why are we not a happier society? I believe it’s because we settle for less and ignore our Passions, our gut instincts.
The best advice that I have ever heard came from Oprah Winfrey: “Do what you love. If you follow your Passion, and do what you love…the money will follow.”
Why do so many of us ignore our Passion(s)? I define Passion as that hot feeling you get in your chest along with a massive endorphin rush when you’re so inspired or excited about something you’ve seen, heard, or read.
The last time I had this feeling was yesterday, when I was watching the Season Finale of the new show on Animal Planet, “Whale Wars.” I wanted to jump through the screen, and onto the Sea Shepherd to help the crew work towards ending the cruel and unnecessary Whaling. I wanted to join the crew in following the Whaling fleet into the Antarctic sunset, preventing them from doing harm to such gentle creatures.
I wonder what would happen to this country if we all threw our hands up and said, “Screw it! I’m going to follow one of my Passions and actually enjoy what I do 40+ hours a week, versus compromising my happiness for a secure paycheck and benefits.” I understand that during such hard economic times, it may not be easy (or even an option) to throw your hands up. But life is so frighteningly short, and we already comprise so much, I wonder…
Why don’t we put our happiness first for once, take a risk, possibly lose some money in the short-term, but gain a ton of happiness, job-satisfaction, and sense of purpose by following our Passion? Imagine waking up every morning actually EXCITED to go to work. WTF? No way!
We are ridiculously blessed to live in a country in which we actually CAN choose our path. Children can actually be told truthfully, “You can do anything you want to do.” Yet way too many of us don’t. We forget that advice the second we hit 25. Are we really so engrossed with materialistic objects and getting that ‘phat’ paycheck, that we compromise or daily happiness?!?! Seriously?
I wonder…when does one’s Passion become so strong, they let go and actually have the courage to follow it…straight out the door of that over-sized stale corporate building and off into the Antarctic?
show hide 4 comments