Loving Life First - Role of Faith

Today, I had lunch with my boss. I've had discussions about my searching for work that I could feel passionate about. It was at the acclaimed authentic Chinese restaurant called P.F. Chang's and at the end I opened a fortune cookie that read, "Not knowing where you are going doesn't mean you are not going in the right direction." I thought, "Wow, how fitting..." to which he laughed, "Don't believe everything you read!"

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I have a hypothesis. It's that a passion in life cannot come without first loving life. An interesting dichotomy since people seem to pursue the former in hopes of solving the latter. At the same time, it is the latter which drives or hinders the former (whether consciously or not).

And what is a hypothesis without assumptions? I assume that the typical lures of money, fame, power, worldly possessions (tangible or not) or even love/relationships aren't enough to truly fulfill the human desires. Not anymore than a hamburger and forever fill one's appetite. If you doubt me on this, check the entertainment news. Beautiful, rich, famous, powerful people still falling into the wrong things? Aren't they happy? Just how much is enough? Just trust me on this matter or it will be impossible to accept further statements.

Don't misunderstand me; one has to eat. There are necessities. In fact, I don't believe money or any of those things to be inherently wrong. However, they may be abused. And more importantly, in abundance they still leave something lacking, something to be desired. So then the question becomes... where does a passion for life come from? Now we're getting somewhere. What drives you? What are your motivations? Are they for money? These are not easy questions to be honest about.

Going back to the fortune cookie's tacit message, is ignorance bliss? Can we accept that things will work out and the right direction is ahead if we remain clueless? Yes and no. Haha. Trick question. No, because I believe that you must take control of the wheel, so to speak. Yes because we are limited by our human ability and foresight. That's where faith comes in. Faith allows one to accept what he/she cannot control. Being myself a Christian, the salvation and hope are irreplaceable foundations. Yes, I still find myself tempted and making mistakes. But do not allow preconceived notions to cloud your judgment. I could spend all day trying to convince you but in the end you must seek the truth yourself. You may be surprised at what you find.

Final note: Faith gives guidance as well as purpose in life. It allows me to love life and is the basis of my passion and I believe it to be truth. The next step? Finding the right outlet(s).

A Passion for What?

This blog is about finding my passion in life. With any luck, it will help you find yours as well. Many honest people that I've met have admitted, “I don’t know what I really want to do in life.” Have you said that too?

First of all, I’ve realized that that’s ok. And personally, the reason is because my interests are so diverse. I am the Renaissance type, the aspiring polymath, who wants to learn about lots of things and has trouble specializing in one area. Maybe like you, my fear of being stuck in one place or field isn’t a pleasant thought. I’ve wrestled with many philosophies and have decided to start sharing my findings as a springboard for new ideas and insight.

I find that teaching something is often the best way to learn it.

These are some of the topics I plan to cover along the way:

1. Loving Life First
     a. Role of Faith
     b. Was work meant to be enjoyable?
     c. Nonprofit work
2. The Journey vs. The Destination
     a. True Motivation
     b. Sacrificing the Present for the Future
3. Looking Inward
     a. Admiration
     b. Childhood dreams
     c. Compliments and Talents
     d. Accomplishments
     e. Working Nonstop
4 The Power of Pretending
5. Personalities for Work and Play
6. Rhythm and Variety
7. Work and People

Obviously, I've put lots of thought in already. Each entry will be an anecdote and lead into one of the topics above. I plan to have pictures too... just to keep things interesting. =)