Let’s talk about passion. I want you to start thinking about what you are passionate about. If nothing comes to mind, it is okay. I was almost 40 years old when I first discovered real passion outside of God and my family. Now that I have experienced passion and understand its value, I never want to know life without it. I hope to always be open to new experiences and willing to explore new dreams so that I never lose sight of the joy passion brings me in my life.
The definition of passion is an intense desire or enthusiasm for something. Other than your significant other or children, is there something that ignites intense desire within you?
Think of someone you know that embodies passion. What are they passionate about? How do you feel when you are around them watching them in their element filled with passion?
I smile when I see someone passionate about something. It is their proactive way of living and their enthusiasm that is so captivating. They are in touch with their deepest desires and actively trying to live them out. They are brave & confident in their pursuit. I love their energy. They exude happiness and light up whenever they talk about their passion. Their energy and excitement are palpable, and it draws us in.
When I was a new mom, I felt so strongly about changing my eating habits so that I could be a positive role model for my son. I started reading everything I could so that I could learn about healthy eating. I joined a food co-op so that I could purchase healthy foods in bulk. I bought organic foods and read books and magazines about food and nutrition. I started collecting healthy recipes and learned how to cook many new items. I was on a mission. My goal was to feed myself and my family nutritious whole foods (not refined or processed). My passion for healthy food has been alive ever since. Healthy food energizes me and makes me happy, but once I sort of mastered it, I was ready for something new to explore.
When I was a single mom of four young children ranging from one year to ten years old, I began to look for something all my own that would spark joy and passion within me. I needed something new to offer me the energy and strength that I needed to be a single mom. At that time in my life, I wanted the joy and distraction I knew a new hobby or interest could provide.
I started running, and it totally fueled me and carried me through the hardship and pain associated with divorce and being a single mom. I could open the front door and take off. I needed the outlet and freedom that a long run could provide. I was so energized by all the nature around me. Each run represented a new experience and a new beginning. Sometimes I would see a snake, an alligator, a pair of cardinals, a rabbit, or the beautiful sunrise and be reminded of God’s glory and creativity. I always came home grateful. Grateful I was alive, grateful I could move my body, and grateful I just got to experience so much beauty steps from my front door. I connected with God on each run. I could feel His presence. All that gratitude fueled me. I brought it home to my children; it carried us all during a difficult season.
Now let’s fast forward a bit to when I discovered CrossFit. I started doing CrossFit to help me with my then love – long distance running: half marathons and marathons. I LOVED running for ALL the reasons I mentioned but my body needed more balance, so I sought out CrossFit to develop more posterior muscles. I never planned to love CrossFit, but it did not take long for me to realize that I was actually pretty good at it, and I really enjoyed it. One of my coaches said to me, “Julie, if you would just give up running, and focus on CrossFit, you could be really good.” I started doing local competitions and fell in love with being a competitor.
CrossFit involves weightlifting, gymnastics, cardiovascular endurance, and high intensity movements. There is always room to improve or a new skill to learn. I think that is what hooked me. I LOVE a challenge. I love setting goals and then attempting to crush them. With running, I had achieved really all that I could see myself achieving, so this was perfect for me. I would never be able to reach the end goal. There would always be a way to learn more, improve more, and be challenged more. I began taking every CrossFit and weight-lifting course I could find, watching YouTube how-to videos, hiring coaches, reading weight-lifting books, investing in programing, learning more about nutrition — really ANYTHING that would get me where I wanted to go as a competitor.
CrossFit became my passion, and this is when I really started to understand and connect with my oldest son’s passion for fishing. I found myself pursuing CrossFit the way he chased after fishing. It was great to connect this way with my son, but a series of eight surgeries over a 2.5-year period to repair my body ended my love affair with the sport of fitness. Being forced to let go of something that I loved so much was HARD. Once again, I found myself longing for something new to fuel me.
When I went back to school to become a certified health and life coach and simultaneously enrolled in grad school to become a marriage and family therapist, I truly came alive. It was like someone turned the lights back on for me. Working and going to school while being a wife and momma were nearly impossible. I spent many late nights studying and many early mornings staring at my computer, but I loved it. Working hard on a 20-page paper and earning an A was invigorating. I love to learn! Once again, I was hooked!
I am very passionate about helping others. I have suffered through so many of life’s traumas, heartache, and pain. I got into coaching to make a difference and help transform lives, but I did not know that it would become my passion.
I take every class that is offered, attend every conference I can, and practice new skills as often as possible. Many of my clients will tell you that I have been known to call them up to discuss something I recently learned that may help them. I am always reading books or enrolling in a new program to further my knowledge so that I can make a difference. This is passion. When you are fortunate enough to get up each day to begin work, and it feels effortless, you know that you are in the right place doing exactly what you were meant to do. I am blessed. Few people get to say that they are passionate about what they do. I do not take this for granted.
Before I found marathon running and CrossFit, and before I became a health, life, and relationship coach, I did not really understand passion or how it impacts your life. I spent most of my life without experiencing the excitement and joy of waking up to a new day filled with endless opportunity and possibility. I never want to live life without it. It is our passions and joy that give life meaning and create momentum; they define us. Passion is at the heart of who we are and what we do. Go find your passion!