Light behind your eyes

I was meeting with an acquaintance last week; he’s an IT Consultant whom is married with three kids. We talked about how his year was last year – and it was not surprisingly mediocre. As I looked at him he had no life in his eyes, he reminded me of a mouse on a tread wheel.

I asked my Consultant friend, ‘what are you passionate about?’ to which he said he didn’t know. I pressed him further and asked him what his hobbies are; he said he didn’t have any! Surely not, he finally admitted to having a talent for painting and drawing, which he was quite good at, but he hadn’t pursued in years. Like all of us, like me, he had found everyday excuses from stopping him doing the things awaken the light behind his eyes.

I spoke to another former colleague last week whom had just started with a new company. She was working extremely hard to get established but she had a real buzz in her voice. I asked her what had her so fired up. She said she had realised that she was doing nothing for herself. She had been involved in musical theatre whilst in school and university but had since let it slide. Recently a friend asked her whether she would be interested in auditioning for a new musical and she decided to say ‘Yes!’ No surprises she got the role and was working twice as hard with trying to juggle a new job plus fit musical rehearsals.

Two weekends ago I went away on a men’s surfing holiday with my brother and a friend. We had a cottage on cliff top overlooking the beach and lived on bacon & eggs, steak and beer and it was wondrous. We went surfing twice on the Saturday with my arms almost falling off and were asleep by 9.30pm. I literally felt so good I couldn’t believe it. It felt like my surfing trips when I was 20. My brother came back so pumped he went surfing the Monday night after work.

We all need to be reminded of the things that we are passionate about and be challenged to pursue them. The things that make us awaken our creativity, our love for the outdoors, our hidden talents. It wasn’t until I did several writing courses and was then ‘dared’ by a friend (Iggy Pintado) that I started this blog – where am I now – 31 articles.

I challenged my consultant friend, nay I dared him to go and find an arts course and sign up and I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. I guess I will see my impact at our next meeting.

Now if only I could organise myself guitar lessons….

What are your passions that you are ignoring? What can you do about it? Write to me and let me know. Happy Year of the Metal Tiger!