I live in a very suburban area, and everyday to and from work I see many beautiful houses with lush well manicured lawns. Such wonderful properties people own. Their own small plots of land fertile with life and broad open space. And with all the times I have observed these properties on my commutes, do you know how many times I have seen people out on their lawn or even decks playing, barbecuing, or even just chilling out? NEVER. I have never seen this.

 

I’m starting to believe that nobody actually lives in these houses. There is no movement. The cars are parked in the exact same space as they always are. Sometimes I think that I am one of very few actors in a movie about me where there are no extras (ever seen the Truman Show). These people spend enormous amounts of money on mortgages for property they do not use. Such a waste.

Society would have us believe that wealth is happiness. For so many of us, this is that we were raised to believe. Our parents told us as kids:

“You need to go to college to get a good job and make lots of money so you can have a big house, a nice car.”

 

This is so sad. This tells me that not only was this person unwilling or unable to cultivate this passion, but the fact that this is a common phrase means that this stands true for many or most people who choose boating (or whatever it is called) as a passion.

There is also the possibility that most people who choose boating as a pursuit/hobby/life (other words for passion) do so without realizing the depth of the commitment it really is. They don’t realize the amount of time, money, and sacrifice it will require to pursue.

Off the top of my head I know that boating requires docking time and costs, hauling, cleaning, inspecting, licensing. And all these things are just necessary in keeping a boat. Using the boat is a whole other set of rules, time, and costs. And like I have said before there are only 24 hours in a day. So with that being said, the real cost is making the sacrifice in your life of other activities to make room for this new one. Freeing up the time in your life is the sacrifice that no one considers. Everyone considers the costs and even the physical space needed, but no one ever considers the time. This is why I always hear excuses like “I would have loved to take the boat out more, but I just could never find the time.” That’s just straight bullshit. If you are truly passionate about it you would make the time. Too many of us opt for abandoning our passions just to satisfy our time clutter because it is what we are used to, or it is what is expected of us.

Now some passions are more demanding of our resources than others, but any passion that is worth pursuing requires a real commitment from us. Of all these resources, time seems to be the toughest to provide (as it is the most valuable). So with whatever passion we pursue, we have to ask ourselves how much time we are willing to commit to it. If it is not much, then we were not that passionate about it in the first place and it’s better we walk away now. But if we are willing to take it all the way, then dive in head first and cut out all the time clutter in our lives. No more “movie nights”, no more “poker with the boys”, no more “Dancing with the Stars” on Tuesday nights. You may even have to cut out other passions you were pursuing. Prioritize your activities and start scratching them off starting from the bottom of the list.

Your passion should take a significant amount of your time. Your passion is a part of you, it’s who you are; not merely what you do.

I am a Cyclist, not a man who rides a bike.

you are a singer, not a person who likes to sing.
an Archer, not a person who likes to fire arrows.
A Hunter, not a person who hunts.
A Chef, not a cook.
A Captain, not a person who takes his boat out every now and then.

Pursuing your passion should not feel like it’s taking you away from your life, because it is your life.