The new year always has us making to do lists, resolutions, goals, bucket lists…it is a great time to refocus, to evaluate things in your life, but I pose to you a different question.

I just started reading Timothy Ferriss “Four Hour Work Week” & there is one statement that I found myself saying—YES!! FINALLY. YEAH!! HALLELUJAH!!!

The dreaded question everyone gets asked, may be the question that ties you to your job & you find yourself only able to describe yourself as your profession…“What do you do? or What do you want?” “What are your goals”…the questions go on and on, spinning you into a corner.  Some know what they want—happiness, love, a good job… BUT, I LOVE how Tim Ferris puts it: Let’s assume we have 10 goals and we achieve them—what is the desired outcome that makes all the effort worthwhile? The most common response is what I also would have suggested five years ago: HAPPINESS. I no longer believe this is a good answer. Happiness can be bought with a bottle of wine and has become ambiguous through overuse. There is more precise alternative that reflects what I believe the actual objective is.  Bear with me. What is the opposite of happiness? Sadness? No. Just as love and hate are two sides of the same coin, so are happiness and sadness. Crying out of happiness is a perfect illustration of this. The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is—here’s the clincher—boredom.

Excitement is more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase. It’s the cure-all. When people suggest you follow your “passion” or your “bliss”, I propose that they are, in fact, referring to the same singular concept: EXCITEMENT. The question you should be asking isn’t, “What do I want?” or “What are my goals?” but “WHAT WOULD EXCITE ME.”

I LOVE THAT!! WHAT WOULD EXCITE ME. What would excite you? Ask yourself that question.

I just read a sweet article about Drew Barrymore and her passion for cooking that has ignited since she has become a new mother. In the February issue of Marie Claire, Drew opened up about her love of cooking: ”I looooove cookbooks. I cook a lot when I’m pregnant. When I got pregnant the first time, I couldn’t even boil water. Now I can make the most spectacular slow-roasted pork tacos you will ever have, an incredible verde sauce with ancho chilies—so good. [And I just learned to make] a Greek yogurt pie with lemon zest and pepper filling on a gingersnap crust with black seedless grape compote. Amazing!” she told.

Listen to that!! Can you hear the passion and EXCITEMENT!!

I came across some other celebrity passions: Did you know Vanilla Ice has a hobby of home renovation that has turned into a full-time career with his own show on the DIY network called “The Vanilla Ice Project.”  Who knew!!

Apparently Blake Lively loves to bake cupcakes, Neil Patrick Harris enjoys sharing his magic skills, and Jake Gyllenhaal said he would be a cook if he wasn’t an actor. Who knew!!

Did you know Geena Davis in 1999 became a finalist in Archery for the US Olympic team. Who knew!!

Did you know Jason Lee (father-figure of the Chipmunks) was once a sponsored, professional skateboarder. Who knew!!   [See the whole article with the above info http://magazine.foxnews.com/celebrity/celebrities-and-their-hidden-passions]

Ask yourself, What do I want to do that I am a little afraid to try. Is there some idea I would like to play with or may want to just sit and think about for awhile? What is it? Does it EXCITE me? 

I jumped around to get some other peoples thoughts and ideas on things that excite & this is what I found…Experiencing new things, new places, new ideas, loving, being loved, growing spatially, and getting in touch with who I really am and want to be.  The end credits after the show is over, they show all the bloopers and mistakes. [funny]  The beauty of life. Thinking and learning. The eternal optimism of my children. Going on vacation. The idea of being stable forever. Travel. The idea of being able to get out of my depression (hope). Presents. Football. Surfing. Fitness. Doing things that seem inconceivable. Writing songs. Spending time with my family. Writing a novel that may never be published.

WHAT LIGHTS YOU UP? Sit down & think of anything that lights you up. Anything that would get you excited to jump out of bed and take a baby step towards realizing a passion. There are activities, places, people that light a spark in us, they help move us toward something that excites, that motivates, that propels us to a better self. Move towards those things that challenge, that teach, that will be a life lesson full of rewards.

Best to you. Heather