Michael Jordan To Abby Lee Miller

Something I really enjoy seeing is someone doing something they are passionate about.  I'm not talking about a hobby or even something they may be good at, but something they are passionate about.  Some examples for others may be a little different for me because again, just because someone is good or even great, does not make them passionate.  I still to this day question Michaeal Jordan's passion for basketball.  I won't go as far to say he was not passionate, but he was a great example of tragedy tampering with his passion.  That is what makes me question.  Typically, in my theory of passion, you always run to this passion, whether in good or bad times.  We all know that one drunk.  Everytime you see him/her, you ask yourself, really?  If he/she is celebrating, drunk.  If it was a bad day, drunk.  Just becasue it is Tuesday, drunk.  I think that counts as a passion.  Many would call it an addiction, and I would agree, but that passion can definitely lead you there.  Now, back to Mike.  Most would not question his passion for basketball, but I think about the stories like when he was cut, and it made him work harder.  So was it his passion for basketball or not wanting to be cut again?  The same with coming back to basketball from baseball.  And again, please don't allow me to upset you as I share because he was going through an extremely tough period.  Did he come back for the passion of the game, or because he was not as successful with baseball.  It was almost like that moment where you realize I am the best in the world at something even though I like something else more, and we all can agree he was never going to be as great at baseball as he was in basketball.  To switch it a bit, if you have ever watched Dance Mom's, which I love by the way, Abby is a great example of someone who is passionate about something.  You can clearly see she no longer can dance, but her passion for dance oozes out in each episode.  This is what I am specifically talking about when I say passion.  She is a great dance teacher but being a dance teacher is not her passion; dance is.  What makes it hard are the ones around her who do not share that same passion and cannot understand.  It is interesting to see the girls, who just enjoy the friendships they have created rather than what you assume was once their passion versus the other girls, who care about those friendships but care more about their passion.  I know we all see this dynamic all the time, but that is a completely other blog post.  As I have gotten older, I truly find myself drawn to watching passionate people.  I actually enjoy going to a good balet or opera and enjoy searching for the performers, who I feel share their passion with me.  On the other side of the coin, I generally want to yank performers off the stage when you can tell they are just doing it because maybe they are just good or even worse because it is their job.  Now that brings me to me.  Most that know me, know my passion is probably 1 of 2 things: education or basketball.  But again as I have gotten older, I think my passion truly has more to do with mentoring young people.  I am still narrowing down my specific passion but to see a young person learn something or realize something is like seeing a shooting star.  I also enjoy helping them with their passions even it means just supporting them rather than helping them because maybe I am unable to or do not possess the knowledge.  I encourage you to find that passion, and I pray that that passion is your job because if it is, you have truly special blessing.  Don't stray too far from your passion.  Find your happiness there.  Deal with you pain there.  And hopefully your passion is not something harmful but rather something that truly enhances others.  Feel free to share with me some of your passions or even examples of people who are passionate that you know.  Make it a passion-filled day.