Passion. Passion is an interesting word that has been rattling around in my head for a while. What am I passionate about? Why am I passionate about it? Am I using my passions to better myself and others?
As you can probably tell from this blog, I love getting outside, and I love adventure sports. But am I passionate about them? I would say yes. My partner might call me obsessed if she was choosing the verbiage though. Am too focused on specific sports? Perhaps…?
Does my passion for the outdoors better myself? I genuinely believe that it does. Every experience I have of getting up and going outside seems to energize me. From the basics of just walking around the block to going out and hiking up a mountain the act of getting outside fuels me.
I was recently interviewed for a friend’s podcast (I’ll plug that when it comes out!), and she was asking me about what drove me to go snowboarding at the worst times in my illness, when I could barely go outside without crapping my pants and was in constant pain. I don’t know if I gave her a good answer, I probably said “I don’t know”. It is hard to put into words. Why would I choose to drive up to the local mountain only to do 1-4 runs before racing to a bathroom (not always making it) and going back home to clean up a shitty mess?
After letting the question bounce around the back of my mind for a month or two I have been trying to figure out what motivated me to do it. I guess those brief times being able to connect with nature, and feel somewhat normal gave me the strength to keep pushing and battling despite everything. I know I was pretty miserable to be around for a couple of years, but when I did manage to get up on a mountain, or out kiteboarding, it made me feel alive.
And since my ostomy surgery, I used the outdoors as a motivational tool to recover and heal. And as I regained confidence in my body, I gained confidence that my Coloplast bag could deal with the abuse I was throwing at it. With more health and confidence I pushed myself more, tried new things, and have played a lot more in the mountains! I am excited for this continued growth!
Does my passion for the outdoors help others? Do I need it to help others? The short answer, no, I don’t NEED my passions to help others. But if I can use them to positively impact others, shouldn’t I? It is my hope that my story can help even 1 person feel more confident in themselves. It is how I am choosing to use my passion to help others. Social media, and blog writing are both new and foreign to me. I have always been very open (almost to a fault) with my friends and family, but putting myself out there online is a whole new level, and it is quite intimidating.
So I hope you enjoy my attempts at turning my passion for the outdoors into stories that might inspire.
Whatever your passions are, let them fuel you, energize you, and help you grow.
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I love what you said about you don’t need your passions to help others and it’s so true. I think we should all have those passions that are just for us! This post really makes me want to go skiing again. I’d love to get outdoors more than I currently do.
Interesting. I had not thought about it that way! I like that perspective as well. I hope you get to go up to the mountains and back on your skis when it’s safe to do again!