A Passion for Life

This week we had an “equilux” - that's a day when day and night are just about equal in length. We normally refer to this as the autumn equinox or solstice, but by any name, this passage from summer to fall is a time when change again occurs around us. The days are now noticeably shorter, the nights are cooler, and the leaves are beginning to change. A bright Harvest Moon ushered in the change of seasons this year - that hasn't happened in nearly 20 years and is not scheduled to happen again until 2029. This full moon also coincided with the alignment of Jupiter and Uranus, adding extra flavor to this year's equinox. Try to figure the odds of all these things happening at once; on second thought, just enjoy this confluence of events and the world around you. Take a moment in your busy life to slow down and reflect on the passage of time and what this all means to you and those you love.

My message this week is about passion and what it means to the things we do and those we’re with:

"We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life." William Osler

Sir William Osler, M.D., C.M., 1st Baronet (1849 – 1919) was a Canadian physician. He has been called one of the greatest icons of modern medicine. Osler was a pathologist, educator, bibliophile, historian, author, and renowned practical joker.

Are you going to add anything to life today? On your way to work, did you add to the craziness on the roads or were you one of the considerate ones – driving defensively, staying in your lane, and slowing and stopping when you were supposed to? At work, are you helping others, staying positive, lending a hand and adding to the general morale – or are you just there, waiting to see what’s in it for you? At home, will you help others and be there for your friends and family, or just sit in front of the tube and veg out? You’ve got choices – today and everyday; you can add to all that’s good, or take more than your share. If you have a passion for life – all of it – then you’ll give it your all, all of the time. Make up your mind to passionately add to your life today and see how that affects the world around you.

It’s not easy to find out whether someone is passionate; you can’t just ask - it has to be experienced. The best way to determine if it’s there is to see what shines through a person’s personality and actions. Be aware that what you’re thinking, feeling and doing shines through you to those around you. Make sure that the you that is seen by others is passionate about the everything you do. You’ll be glad you did, and so will they.