Live with Passion!

I’m getting up in years. It’s terrifying! I’ll be *gasp* 39 in just a few days! YIKES!! So I’m sure that most of you out there are laughing at my foolishness, but I guarantee that you went through the same thing every year after your 30th birthday!

I’m not just mentioning my upcoming birthday for no reason, but if you feel the need to buy me a birthday gift, you’re welcome to email me. Just an FYI – I like anything Nike and Adidas.

Seriously, the reason I’m mentioning this is because I’m officially an adult, and that means that I’m interacting with other adults on their level. At least, that’s how it looks on the outside. On the inside, I’m wondering why they’re talking to a kid like me about adult stuff. Don’t they know I’m only 14? I can’t even remember what 14 was like. Did it really exist? I feel like I just skipped over that entire year, because I honestly can’t remember a thing about it.

Okay, so you get that I’m talking about adults now, right? Here’s what I realized. Adults are lame. LAME! L-A-M-E!!! If I could put that word in sparkles and make it fly around the screen, I would.

People, I have to know – why is everyone so lame? Where’s the excitement? Where’s the goofy smile? Where’s the uncontrollable laughter??

But even more than that, where’s the passion? So many people walk around like zombies, dead people, semi-conscious and hunched-over, with scowling faces or blank looks. So many people barely greet each other while passing another on the street, and smiles are forced, at best.

This, to me, shows that people aren’t enjoying life. They’re not enjoying their surroundings, the fact that they can walk around, the fact that they can see, hear, and speak, the fact that they can breathe without a tube stuck down their throat. Where is the appreciation for all of these tremendous blessings Hashem gives us every single moment??

And, furthermore – you men knew it was coming, right? Where is the passion for your wives? When was the last time you looked, really looked, into your wife’s eyes? I mean, to the point where she’s actually uncomfortable and looks away? When did you give her a hug with all of your love?

Of course, this also goes for the wives, but I don’t have to sound redundant, right?

My point is: if we’re not living with passion, we’re not truly alive. Being truly alive means being in the moment 100%. You’re not thinking about yesterday or tomorrow; you’re here, completely, focusing on what you’re doing. NOW. You’re appreciating each moment for the sky, the clean air, the beautiful trees, your family, your spouse, your friends, even the chair you’re sitting on.

When you live with passion, you appreciate everything.

And that’s gratitude for you. Gratitude means that you not only thank Hashem for everything He’s giving you at every moment, but you’re also using it to its maximum potential. Gratitude, in essence, leads to living with passion.

If you need more passion in your life, then you must read Rabbi Shalom Arush’s The Garden of Gratitude. Appreciation is the key to having a happy, fulfilled, and enjoyable life, no matter what the circumstances are.