A few weeks ago I went on a High Adventure trip with my Venture Scouts. We went down to West Virginia near and on the New River Gorge. This was a trip I have been on many times, we do several adrenaline activities like mountain climbing, mountain biking, zip lining, and whitewater rafting. Each activity is just as risky and exciting as the others. This was the first time I had been here sense the gates of pure positivism have opened up in my life. I discovered that the guides that bring us on these tremendous events are full of instruction, full of funny jokes, and full of stories about past thrill seekers and their life’s path. Listening to them talk about their life was very inspiring, I was really tuned into the passion they felt about the job they are doing. These men and women are living the dream.

Our climbing guide was talking about how much of an avid kayaker she was but was ready to tackle a new adventure as a climbing guide. Every day she works on the glorious cliff sides just to make it to the end of her day so she can pop her kayak in the water and take it down the New River. Further into her life story you could really feel how passionate she was about the adventurous outdoors. When summer falls short and winter begins she heads up to Colorado working the ski slopes in the mountains. She works there only for the opportunities to go snowboarding. When summer comes back here she comes back to West Virginia. There is no money in this venture it is just pure passion. She knows darn well that this kind of life style won’t last forever. When questioned about her future in adventure seeking she simply said “I want to get as much kayaking and boarding time as I can before I physically can’t anymore.”

To really feel the passion behind these guides you have to be there, you have to hear them. My explanations do no justice to the positive emotions resonating from their lips. This is what brings me to talk about passions and inspirations. We all have passions and we owe it to ourselves to discover those passions and share then with others. We all have people we look up to, people that inspire us. Those passionate about what they speak will have great attention from their audiences.  I guess what I am saying hear is seek out those that are passionate about the things they love doing. When you can feel that positive energy spilling off of them I encourage you to listen more. I encourage you to ask questions. The emotions of passion and inspiration are so intoxicating within our own lives, but merely to listen to others will just blows your mind away. When you read a good book, your are reading the written words of a passionate writer. When you see a movie that really touches you, there is a whole cast and crew of those that are passionate about what they do. When you meet a surfer and all he can talk about is waves, there is a great level of passion. When you listen to a motivational speaker, they inspire you. They don’t inspire you just because they know what to say they inspire you because they have a passion for helping others.

I am not an ace writer, I am not a fast reader, I still have nerves when speaking in front of a crowd, but nothing is going to stop me from getting better at everything I want to do, every single day. I have been criticized for my grammar all my life. I have been looked down on for my reading abilities. The times has come for me to stop saying I am a slow learner, to ignore the harsh nonconstructive criticism. If I can stand on the edge of a mountainside cliff and look down with a fear of heights, I can read, and write, and speak better than ever before. This blog and all my quotes are just the warm up. I have big ideas to share with people, and when I am scared, when I fall helpless I will climb back up time and again to step on that cliff and look down on all that I have accomplished. I am  grateful to all those who have been and will be supporting my journey. When I reach the top of one mountain it is just time to travel to another. I want to live my dream, and I am going to!

Seriously people. Find your passions, and do whatever it takes to reach them. Find those who inspire you and just listen. Love your life and live your dreams.

“You can find inspiration by just listening to those who are passionate about what they do.”

-Marc Meyer-