New Year New Adventure

Every new year we come up with a list of things that we want to change- whether it's our weight, our habits, our relationships, or whatever there is in your life you feel could be better. We make our resolutions, and often every February 1 we are back where we started. I blame this on lack of passion. It's the things that we are truly passionate about that we shape our lives around.

It was around this time last year that I started really thinking about this- was I living a life that reflected passion or was I simply getting by? I started listing out the things that I was passionate about. Some were real good and meaningful and some were silly. After making that list, I started reflecting on the things that were keeping me from living passionately. Jesus said in John 10:10 that "the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Similarly Morgan Freeman said "get busy living, or get busy dying." If Jesus and the guy who played God in Bruce Almighty say it, it needs some attention.

I knew that I wanted to get busy living, and living a full life- a life that reflects passion. That is how this journey of me hiking the Appalachian Trail came about. I want to truly experience life that was beyond what I was living, a life that was beyond me. Because when I truly reflect on my life, the times that it was most fulfilling were the times that I was living beyond myself and living for others. I thought about just giving a bunch of money to help build a well in Africa so that I could do something meaningful, but just giving money wouldn't change me. My life would still be the same. But if I made major sacrifices to my lifestyle that could change me. After a lot of thought, prayer, and reflection, I was able to form a marriage of two of my passions (hiking and clean water for all) by choosing to live and by choosing to live beyond myself- life and life to the full.

So my challenge to you is this. What are you passionate about? What do you stand for? Why not join them and do something meaningful? I call it the Reece Cup effect- peanut butter and chocolate alone are pretty awesome, but together it is the most spectacular experience to hit my taste buds. Find something you enjoy doing and something you stand for and make a difference in this world and watch your resolutions become revolutions and your new year will never be the same! I know mine won't!