Opening the Door

Finding Your Passion

Work is a huge part of most people’s lives, but what about the rest of the pie: family, friends, passion projects and how to discover, explore, and hopefully realize your passions. “To create, you need talent. To begin, you need passion.”
― Michael Bassey Johnson, Night of a Thousand Thoughts

I also believe in following your gut - you’ll just know when it’s right or more likely, it’s something you’ve been thinking about and working towards for a long time. Work in progress. I’m getting there, but don’t want to jink it so more on that later.

In the meantime, what are my passions? People. Time with family and friends. Pets. Books. Travel. Reading. Hiking. And, of course, writing. Sounds less like a personal reflection and more like the opening line of a dating app profile. I’ve been advising clients to keep writing and keep creating for years, and finally I am starting to take my own advice.

Apparently, the experts insist we should also make time for leisure. Which raises an important question: are we really at the point where relaxation needs to be penciled into the calendar between errands and Zoom calls? Although, if I’m being fair, maybe that’s exactly the problem. Maybe when you finally step back and look at all the pieces of the pie, you realize leisure isn’t optional, it’s one of the ingredients that keeps the whole thing from falling apart.

As I’m trying to embrace growing older, I am starting to succeed at making the work piece of the pie smaller and more balanced, but I am also not ready to retire and play pickleball and mahjong - no offense to all that enjoy these games. Socializing and doing something with other people seems to be the important take away here. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Regular, meaningful social engagement improves mood, boosts immune systems, lowers blood pressure, and provides a sense of purpose.”

Purpose is important but I also believe that life is meant to be celebrated: take the trip, throw the party, and never save the champagne for a special occasion. Celebrate the milestone, the small win, or simply the fact that you’re here and living it.

My champagne of choice has always been Veuve Clicquot, perhaps because I’ve long admired the woman behind it. Widowed at just 27, Madame Clicquot refused to let circumstance define her future. Instead, she took over her father-in-law’s champagne business and transformed it into one of the most celebrated houses in the world through vision, resilience, and relentless determination. If you haven’t seen the film about her life, it’s well worth watching, her story is inspiring and fascinating.

I believe the real goal is to find a sense of purpose without losing your sense of joy. That’s the mindset I’m choosing to embrace right now, one rooted in optimism, curiosity, and genuine excitement for what’s ahead.

With that in mind, I’m planning to take a deeper dive into the passions that already inspire me, while remaining open to discovering entirely new ones along the way.

I did commit to reading 26 books in 2026, and so far I’m on track. “Books may well be the only true magic,” says Alice Hoffman. Thank you to my wonderful children for gifting me a new kindle paperwhite and the Libby APP to help achieve my goal. I’m happy to provide my book list if anyone is interested.

At the very least, there’s value in continuing to learn, grow, and push yourself beyond what feels comfortable. To paraphrase Eleanor Roosevelt, we should all do something that scares us a little.

So here’s my next challenge: to try something new, something I’ve never done before, not necessarily every day, but at least once every season. Maybe it will be something simple and unexpected; maybe it will be bold and daring. Either way, I want to keep saying yes to curiosity, adventure, and the possibility of surprise.

As fate would have it, the belt I bought today has the following inscription inside: Laugh More. Gripe Less. Ignore Critics. Say Yes! Order Dessert. Love Life. The door has cracked open - time for me to walk through it.

I’m feeling excited about what’s next!