Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Passion Nurturing Activities, Pt. 4

We've talked about words and how they can stir our passion, but how about time? How much time to you give to your passion? If you're not happy with your answer, here are some things to try:

Take a Time Out. Remember how that works? Time outs? When you were a kid and got a little out of control, Mom sent you to the Time Out chair to cool off. Well, this is a similar principle. Take time to play. Get out of the house, away from your everyday life. Get out in nature. The woods, the ocean, a local park. Go to the library. Go to a playground and watch the kids. Go to a museum and let the beauty of other people's passions wash over you. Go to the gun range and, as my hubby calls it, "plink." Watch cartoons. Take a break from being an adult. Getting away from "it all," at least once in a while, is restorative.

Spend time with people who are living their passion. You know who they are. You know the people in your life who are immersed in doing what they were made to do. Ask to spend a day with them, and watch their faces. Ask them how they stay focused. What they do to refill and rejuvenate. Let those who have gone before you help you on your journey.

Take a 15-minute vacation. Can't get away for a whole or even half day? No worries. Take 15 mintues. Close the door. Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. And let your imagination take you wherever you want to go.

Let yourself laugh! I've seen the restorative power of laughter over and over again, how it brings healing and even health. I have a whole shelf of videos and DVDs I watch to laugh. Doris Day movies. Red Skelton and Victor Borge comedy routines. The Dick Van Dyke show. And on and on. One of my all-time favs is a video of NFL snippets, set to ballet music. Hysterical! Laughter is a powerful force, friends. Give it full rein as often as you can.

Time. Words. Friends. Laughter. Or something completely different. Find whatever it is that works for you, and do it. Don't let your passion be consumed by day-to-day stresses. Don't let the fire God breathed into you be quenched.

Never forget, passion is a precious gift. One a loving Father has given to bless you and those around you. Cherish it. Express it. Let it bless your world.

Peace.

Karen

4 comments:

Teri Dawn Smith said...

Yeah! I got my wish for a section on laughing!

But the truths you've shared about nurturing our passion are nothing to laugh at. I think I'll keep them posted next to my writing desk.

Now I think I'll go watch an episode of bumbling Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith show 'cause he's the who cracks me up.

angela said...

Reading this blog should be listed as something you can do to nurture passion. ;-) I'm currently practicing a couple of your suggestions. First, I'm taking a time out by helping some 4th grade students write their own stories. Such creativity--stories like "How Not To Get Stung By a Bee" and "The Point of a Pencil" written from a pencil's POV.

Second, I'm spending time with passionate people. We're going to a marriage conference this weekend with Les and Leslie Parrott, and we've been invited to their "making mentors" luncheon.

Oh, now I've got a third one to add to the list. Dan just had me watch some silly youtube clips with him. Had a good laugh.

Karen B. said...

You both get an A+! Way to go!

Valerie Comer said...

Need to borrow my sister-in-law's Anita Renfroe dvds again I think. Laughing is good. :)