Passions vs. Purpose
WARNING: this one is bit long so feel free to read the sections you like
Finding Purpose
I have always been told that if you follow your passions that you will find your purpose in life. Yesterday I pursued my passions but still don’t know what my purpose is.
My Trade
By trade, I am currently a sailing coach. I teach, I coach, I smile, I laugh but what I didn’t realize I developed over the last eight years of coaching is an ability to share passion for the sport. After coming off the water with the kids I coach after school, I had a member of the sailing center come over to thank me. He doesn’t have a child in the program, but he wanted to thank me. He wanted to thank me for fostering passion in the kids, he didn’t know how I did it (honestly, i really don’t know either) but he sees it in the kids. Over the past month of being here I’ve had several of the parents of kids in the program give similar sentiments. I know I sound like i’m bragging and I kind of am but it also makes me question myself.
I never thought I would be a sailing coach after college. I thought it was just a summer job. Ive realized that I have a nack for it and there are times that I feel it is my purpose in life. However it is not my only passion. After work yesterday I saw a game of pickup baseball going on the beach. It was a 7 on 7 game but there were about 20 people watching. They only had three bags so they played with home, 1st and 3rd. It actually made for a more exciting game, fast paced and more scoring. It wouldnt be a bad version to play at practice for Trace. The ball was an old tennis ball, the bats were just a wooden stick and most of the gloves were cardboard. The gloves, the ball, the bat, the seats, everything was cheap but the game was priceless. Arguments left and right, diving plays, 3 fights broke out, fans heckling and passion for the game.