One of my interests of late has been fitness. I’m a big fan of the diet roller-coaster. I’ve been on more rides than most and am one of those guys in the really long line just so I can sit up front, where I can really enjoy the view. It’s overrated. Some rides are best avoided. It took me over 40 years with numerous starts and stops, but I think I finally figured out the secret to getting the weight off and keeping it off.
Are you ready? Here it is: we gain the weight back because losing the weight is our ultimate goal.
Got it? Simple, huh. So let’s move on…oh, that wasn’t clear. Well, I suppose I can take time from my busy napping schedule and fill in some details.
What’s your Passion?
I want to start by asking you a question–What is your Passion? What is it that has haunted you since you were old enough to form a cognitive thought? What is it you dream about?
Is it climbing a mountain? Writing a book? Learning the piano? Blogging? (Yes, I know, no one dreams about blogging…well, except for a few people on this here blog who shall go unnamed). If you need time to think about this, go ahead. Take all the time you need. I can wait. I’ll just play my iPad euchre game while you dig into the deep recesses of your brain. Really, grab a pen and write it down.
Rats. I hate it when my computer partner goes alone…how boring…oh, you’re back. Good. Got it in your head or written down? I will ask you to write it down later, so you may as well get ready.
Whatever you came up with, whatever has been screaming inside your reality-TV-polluted brain for the past ten years, that is what you were intended to do. You see, God has a plan for you. He has revealed his plan for you…otherwise it’s not much of a plan. And God has placed that seed in your heart because He knew that you needed this little bit of desire to keep you happy and serve His kingdom.
Your Passion Serves God
Yes, it does serve His kingdom. If your passion is to decorate cupcakes, then you’ll get very good at it. And when you’re very good at it, people will want to buy cupcakes from you. You are providing something good for God’s people. It’s not just a cupcake. It made someone happy. Yes, you made money in the deal. You’re God’s people, too. He wants you to have money.
We’re not all going to be Steve Jobs and provide awesome little electronic devices that enrich people’s lives. That was Steve’s passion. He did it well and earned himself a nice living from it. Your passion is different. It’s your own. Embrace it. Run with it. Really, go outside and run down the street yelling “I’m going to be the best darned cupcake decorator in the world!”
I can’t believe you really did that. I do hope I didn’t catch you just out of the shower.
But Ron, you say, with eyebrow aloft expressing your dubiousness, what does my desire to express art on bakery products have to do with weight loss?
Passion Replaces Food
I’m glad you asked. Bring your eyebrow back to zero altitude and I shall explain myself. You see, we pick up bad habits like over-eating, spending, alcohol, even drugs, because we’re trying to fill a need in our lives. In our modern society, where we’ve got so many distractions, we’ve found other things to fill our time. What we need to be filling our time with are the things that fulfill us. Those are the things we’re passionate about. And when you’re spending every waking moment pursuing your passion, you won’t have much time to pound back a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Nor will you have the desire, since that gaping hole in your soul is now filled with cupcakes…um, maybe not the best example…decorating cupcakes. Test only when necessary.
So, remember the pen and paper? Good. You’re going to write down something akin to this: As of today, I am going to begin my journey to do ______.” You fill in the blank. Tape it to your bathroom mirror if necessary. Then start doing it. You got Google. You’ll figure out what the first step is.
Okay? Okay! So, what did you write down? Name your passion! I’d love to hear from you.
