The Magic that Life is All About
Once upon a time, there was a girl who could do anything in the world she wanted. All she had to do was choose something and focus. So one day she sat down in front of a blank canvas and began to paint. Every stroke was more perfect than the next, slowly and gracefully converging to build a flawless masterpiece. And when she eventually finished painting, she stared proudly at her work and smiled.
It was obvious to the clouds and the stars, who were always watching over her, that she had a gift. She was an artist. And she knew it too. She felt it in every fiber of her being. But a few moments after she finished painting, she got anxious and quickly stood up. Because she realized that while she had the ability to do anything in the world she wanted to do, she was simply spending her time moving paint around on a piece of canvas.
She felt like there was so much more in the world to see and do, so many options. And if she ultimately decided to do something else with her life, then all the time she spent painting would be a waste. So she glanced at her masterpiece one last time, and walked out the door into the moonlight. And as she walked, she thought, and then she walked some more.
While she was walking, she didn’t notice the clouds and the stars in the sky who were trying to signal her, because she was preoccupied with an important decision she had to make. She had to choose one thing to do out of all the possibilities in the world. Should she practice medicine? Or design buildings? Or teach children? She was utterly stumped.
Twenty-five years later, the girl began to cry. Because she realized she had been walking for so long, and that over the years she had become so enamored by everything that she could do — the endless array of possibilities — but she hadn’t done anything meaningful at all. And she learned, at last, that life isn’t about possibility — almost anything is possible. Life is about making a decision — deciding to do something that is meaningful to you.
So the girl, who was no longer a girl, purchased some canvas and paint from a local craft store, drove to a nearby park, and began to paint. One stroke gracefully led into the next just as it had so many moons ago. And as she smiled, she continued painting through the day and into the night. Because she had finally made a decision. And there was still some time left to revel in the magic that life is all about.
But… there’s more to life than just following your passion, right?
Absolutely. For instance, not all passions earn an income, at least not in the near-term. And most of us have families to care for, mouths to feed, and obligations to manage. So yes, there needs to be more than just passion.
But there also needs to be some passion, meaning, and excitement in your endeavors too!
So if you discover something that nourishes your soul, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life. And if you find that you don’t have any time at all for what matters to you, stop doing things that don’t… like watching another Netflix show or getting lost on TikTok and social media.
Be intentional about how you spend your time!
In the end, purpose is the reason you journey, and passion is the fire that lights your way. The heart of human excellence truly begins to beat when you discover a pursuit, big or small, that occupies a piece of your heart and soul. And if there was ever a good day to follow your heart and do something small that matters to you, that day is today!
Here are some little things worth remembering:
- A big part of your life is a result of the choices you make. And if you don’t like your life — if it completely lacks excitement and passion — it’s time to start making changes and better choices.
- Life is to be enjoyed, not endured. You can explore paths that move you. You are always free to do something small and exciting that makes you happy and feeds your heart and soul.
- There is good reason why you should wake each morning and mindfully consider what and who you will give your day to. Because unlike other things in life — money, entertainment, obligations, etc. — time is the one thing you can never get back once it’s gone.
- It’s not what you say, but how you spend your time. If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
- Your passion is an inherent part of you. Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about. Nothing you have that much passion for is ever a waste of time, no matter how it turns out in the long run.
- When you focus your heart and mind upon a meaningful purpose, and commit yourself to fulfill that purpose a little bit every day, positive energy gradually floods into your life.
- We have to stop telling ourselves that other people are our reason for being unhappy, unfulfilled, etc. They aren’t in the long run.
- The more we fill our lives with genuine passion and purpose the less time and energy we’ll waste looking for approval and admiration from everyone else.
- Your body may eventually grow tired, you may lie awake some nights listening to your past regrets, you may miss your only love, you may see the world around you overcome by negativity, or know your respect has been trampled on by unfriendly faces. There is only one thing for healing that works every time, to rediscover what excites you and then dive deeper into it. That’s the only positive effort that a battered mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or doubt, and never dream of regretting. (Note: Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the Passion & Growth chapter of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)
- Just one small step today. That’s all. True purpose has no time limit. True passion has no deadline. Don’t stress and overwhelm yourself. Just do what you can right now — just the next smallest, meaningful step.
You Can “Find Passion” Within Too
Passion truly is the secret ingredient that has kept me going through some of the most painful times of my life. Because at some point, especially when the going gets tough, you have to wonder what you’re doing and why. Over the years, I’ve questioned myself and given myself a thousand little reasons to keep working on Marc & Angel Hack Life. And it always comes back to my willingness to passionately invest energy in the exploration of life’s challenges.
And if you don’t have a specific passion that’s immediately enticing to you, that’s OK. You can still tap into the passion inside you today. You can still learn to believe in your heart that you’re meant to live each moment full of passion and purpose — that each and every moment is worthy in its own way.
Passion is not something you find in life; it’s something you do. When you want to find the passion and inner strength needed to change your situation, you have to force yourself to step forward.
Many of us are still hopelessly trying to “find our passion” — something we believe will ultimately lead us closer to happiness, success, or the life situation we ultimately want. And I say “hopelessly” primarily because passion can’t really be found. When we say we’re trying to find our passion, it implies that our passion is somehow hiding behind a tree or under a rock somewhere. But that’s far from the truth. The truth is, our passion comes from doing things right. If you’re waiting to somehow “find your passion” somewhere outside yourself, so you finally have a reason to put your whole heart and soul into your life and the changes you need to make, you’ll likely be waiting around for an eternity.
On the other hand, if you’re tired of waiting, and you’d rather live more passionately starting today and experience small positive changes, it’s time to proactively inject passion into the very next thing you do…
Think about it:
- When was the last time you sat down and had a conversation with someone, with zero distractions and 100 percent focus?
- When was the last time you exercised and put every bit of effort you could muster into it?
- When was the last time you truly tried — truly tried — to do your very best?
Like most of us, you’re likely putting a halfhearted effort into most of the things you do on a daily basis. Because you’re still waiting. You’re still waiting to “find” something to be passionate about — some magical reason to step into the life you want to create for yourself. But you need to do the exact opposite!
Of course, we can’t do it all and we can’t have it all. Sometimes we have to say no to good things to be able to say yes to the most important things. Sometimes we have to take little risks with our time and energy. But in life, if you don’t risk anything, you risk everything.
So go ahead and take a little risk today…
Put your heart and soul into something.
Feel some excitement.
Discover love.
Run free.
And revel in the magic that life is all about.
Now it’s your turn…
If you’re feeling up to it, we would love to hear from YOU.
Which point mentioned above resonates with you the most today, and why?
Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign-up for our free newsletter to receive new articles like this in your inbox each week.
