Today is Bootsy Collins Birthday. Bootsy Collins was the Bassist for James brown and The Parliament-Funkadelic. Bootsy Collins is incredibly talented and a hard worker in the music community. The man hasn’t stopped making an incredible impact on music since the 60’s.
Today he no longer plays the bass in concert because of doctors orders but he still teaches musicians how to play the bass through a school he founded.
The goal for many workers is retirement but when you are doing something you are passionate about I don’t think many ever really retire. They continue to work in their passion and help others.
The major problem I see is that there are many folks out there not working in their passions. We have to pay bills and taxes and often our passions do not provide bill and tax money.
My hope is that everyone gets the chance to engage in their passions more often. I think if everyone was doing what they love for a living than living would be that much better.
Life is sort of like a game but it is a game without an end or a winner or loser. Life is an infinite game. It can be tempting to see someone who makes a living working at their passion and proclaim that they are a winner at life however we should avoid this temptation. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I host a weekly podcast (sort of I try to do 1 podcast a week but sometimes life gets in the way). Two weeks ago I interviewed Joshua Von War Bear. Josh is a creator of swords, leather work and armor. Josh has acted modeled and participated in many renaissance fairs and cos play events. I am envious of Josh he gets paid to play and make imagination a reality. Josh mentioned in our interview that he loves what he is doing but sometimes he thinks insurance would be nice. I to love what I am doing for a living however I am not making a living with my passion. I engage in my passion projects in my “free time” as do most of us. Because my passion projects are part of my free time and hobbies I can take as long as I want building creating and learning. Josh has deadlines and he cannot take as long as he wants with his passion if he does not sell he does not eat, it is a harsh equation for many working in their passions.
Last week I interviewed Sasha McBrayer. Sasha is passionate about art, graphic design, pop culture and writing. Currently Sasha works in an office and pursues her passions in her free time however some new developments may make it possible to pursue her passions full time (I do not want to give much away). As humans we love to play games and the games should have a beginning, an end, a winner and a loser but life is not that way. In life we only have one of those things and that is a beginning. Don’t put to much pressure on your self and life. You may not be where you want to be now but enjoy life wherever you are and what ever you are doing and know that tomorrow everything will change.
For some encourage remember that this list of authors did not publish their first works until well after age 40 one was 66 when their first book was published
1.Toni Morrison
Age: 40
2. Mark Twain
Age: 41
3. Marcel Proust
Age: 43
4. Henry Miller
Age: 44
5. J.R.R. Tolkien
Age: 45
6. Raymond Chandler
Age: 51
7. Richard Adams
Age: 52
8. Annie Proulx
Age: 57
9. Laura Ingalls Wilder
Age: 65
10. Frank McCourt
Age: 66
Be kind to yourself and never give up on your passions.
Gardening has always been one of those actions that, I love in theory but tests my patience and resolve. You plant water and wait and hope and often you are rewarded but sometimes you are not then you start over again.
Gardens are a great metaphor for life in that, we can do all we can but sometimes we are not rewarded with what we want. Should we stop “tending our garden”? Of course not, if anything we need to start over and maybe learn from the last garden.
I love watching NBA and WNBA games. I follow the NBA and WNBA on social media sites and fan groups. Sometimes the great debate about the pay gap between the NBA and the WNBA will arise (usually around the time that the players unions are negotiating their contract). There are some that do not feel their is a problem with a pay gap between the NBA and the WNBA. These folks often mask their sexism with comments online like “the NBA makes more money so the men deserve more money”. The problem with the making more money explanation for the pay gap would be the reason behind the NBA making more money.
The NBA was created in 1946 and the NBA has poured a lot of time and money into the NBA to make it a success. Players have never been underpaid in the NBA despite the lack of profitability. The NBA was on the verge of bankruptcy teams were closing because of lack of funding but the players that remained were well taken care of or tended to. The WNBA has not received this treatment at all.
It takes time patience and effort to see take care of garden and get some delicious fruits and vegetables. It also takes time patience and effort to get a promotion have a child graduate, graduate yourself and do almost anything in life.
Don’t get discouraged, try again and again and again and… (well you get the point) and of course have some fun with tending the garden. Reward the child and encourage them in all their grades. Reward and invest in yourself along the way to your own goals to.
Grit, according to Angela Duckworth is “is passion and perseverance for long-term goals.” Grit is what you need to do anything that is worth while grit and some rain or luck.
The luck and the rain will come you just have to be ready for it with the planted seed and tended to garden.
The Corrigan Encore 