Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Author: Karen Putz

  • The Three Places You Can Discover Clues to Your Passions

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    “I don’t have a passion.”

    “I don’t know what my passions are.”

    “I haven’t found that ONE passion.”

    Is this you? Are you searching for something “more” in your life? 

    I used to be so envious of people who found their passions early in life and went on to have stellar careers in that direction.  For many years, I was drifting through life with a couple of minor dreams, waiting for that magical “Someday” to appear so that I could start living them.

    Someday I was going to write a book.

    Someday I was going to travel.

    Someday I was going to get up on stage and speak.

    Someday I was going to live my passions–if I just knew what they were…

    It wasn’t until my 44th birthday that I started looking for some clues to my passions. I explored this topic in great detail.  I loved to write. I loved to talk to people. The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize the inklings of passion were indeed there. I just had ignored them for so long. 

    I was fortunate. I took those clues and created a life centered around passion and joy. I ended up writing several books. I unwrapped a long-buried passion for barefoot water skiing. I travel and speak on various topics–especially PASSION!

    There’s a richness in the journey when you center it around what you’re passionate about. Passion fuels you. 

    So where can you start?

     

    You can start with this simple activity that will begin to bring focus on your passions. Carve out some time in your day–you’ll need at least 30 minutes. An hour is even better. No distractions. Turn off the phone. Shut the door.

    Or even better, go someplace where technology isn’t a factor. I did this on a picnic table in a forest preserve near my home. 

    Here are three places you can discover clues to your passions: 

    The Past: 

    Reflect back on your childhood thoughts. What did you long for as a child? What did you grow up dreaming about? What were your moments of joy? What have you abandoned doing but wish you could do again?

    The Future: 

    What are you putting off for “Someday?” When you envision the future–who are you with? What are you doing? What do you have? How do others see you? 

    Right Now: 

    Where do you often go in your mind with your thoughts? What do you daydream about? When you are doing something that is of no interest to you, where do your thoughts drift off to? 

    Your past, present, and future thoughts are rich with clues. Being aware and writing them down is a powerful way to gain clarity.

    Want even more? Sign up for Passion Mentoring 

  • Why Everyone Should Write Their Own Obituary

    Emily Phillips photo by Bonnie Upright
    Emily Phillips photo by Bonnie Upright

     

    Twenty nine days.

    That’s all the time Emily Phillips had left after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Twenty nine days to hug her family and friends. To forgive. To reflect back on life and all the lessons and memorable moments.

    Emily went to work and penned her own obituary. She must have been quite the sassy, funny lady, because after reading every word, I wished I could have met her. No doubt she left a big hole in the hearts of people who knew her, but her obituary went viral and touch millions (yes, millions!)

    Toward the end of her obituary, Emily summed up her life:

    So…I was born; I blinked; and it was over.

     

     

    So this had me thinking this morning–every one of us should write our own obituaries. Perhaps if we faced the final days of our lives in the middle of NOW, we would cherish every moment instead of throwing it away. Perhaps we would reach out and say the loving words that others need to hear. Perhaps we would design the next days and hopefully years of our lives in a much different way than we are slodging through today.

    No buildings named after me; no monuments erected in my honor.
    But I DID have the chance to know and love each and every friend as well as all my family members. How much more blessed can a person be? 

    We are indeed blessed, but sometimes we forget. Sometimes we get wrapped up in issues that won’t have an impact ten minutes, much less ten months, later.

    So for a few minutes today, write out your obituary. How do you want to be remembered? What impact do you want to leave behind with your loved ones? What is your purpose, your gifts, your skills…and how did you share them with the world?

    If an obituary is just too much, you can do your 100th birthday party speech in the same way.

    At any point, you can change your path, change your thoughts, and change your words so that your obituary or 100th birthday reflects the life you truly want to live. Then go out and live it.

    So in the end, remember…do your best, follow your arrow, and make something amazing out of your life. Oh, and never stop smiling.
    If you want to, you can look for me in the evening sunset or with the earliest spring daffodils or amongst the flitting and fluttering butterflies. You know I’ll be there in one form or another. Of course that will probably comfort some while antagonizing others, but you know me…it’s what I do.
    I’ll leave you with this…please don’t cry because I’m gone; instead be happy that I was here. (Or maybe you can cry a little bit. After all, I have passed away).
    Today I am happy and I am dancing. Probably naked.
    Love you forever.
    Emily

    Emily Phillips Obituary

  • A Sign From My Dad: Focus on What Really Matters

    I was having a grumpy day, letting a lot of little things get on my nerves. My desk was piled up with a bunch of paperwork that had no place to go. In frustration, I started cleaning out a file cabinet filled with early intervention papers that needed to be shredded.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a card that was wedged in the metal frame of the cabinet and I dug it out.

    It was a thank you note from my dad.

    Four years ago on this day, Dad was in a coma and no longer responsive. He passed away the next day. Since his death, he has always sent me signs that he’s near. This one made me smile and cry at the same time.

    Dad didn’t make it to his 90th birthday party–and he would have been 90 this year. I think it’s a lesson for all of us–to focus on what really matters and to enjoy the time we have each day.

    Thanks for the lesson, Dad.

     

     

  • The Ricky Martin Email I Almost Deleted

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    “High Profile Blogging Opportunity with Ricky Martin.”

    That was the subject line of an email that showed up in my inbox as I attempted to whittle down the proverbial pile.

    Yeah right, that’s spam, I thought. I moved the cursor to delete it.

    But something stopped me.

    I thought back to the time an editor from the Chicago Tribune contacted me and invited me to write a weekly column for the local section. It was fun seeing my articles in print each week. What if this was a similar opportunity? My intuition prompted me to open the email.

    Sure enough, it was a legitimate proposal to write parenting articles for Ricky Martin’s Piccolo Universe. It also lead to an opportunity to do some writing work for Walgreens as well.

    (So there’s a lesson there–listen to your intuition!)

    I knew very little about Ricky Martin when I started, other than a vague memory of Menudo and his song, Living la Vida Loca. Over the last year, I’ve learned more about Ricky and discovered a man with a heart centered around kindness and a penchant for inspirational quotes. He’s the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino. He has a foundation dedicated to helping children around the world.

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    It’s been a fun writing project because it ties two of my passions together: writing and kids. So if you’re looking for some parenting advice and articles, dive in:

    Water Safety for Kids

    Creative Ways to Teach Your Child to Read and Make Reading Fun

    Fun Activities to Keep Your Kids Busy Through Winter

    Meditation Moments: How to Create Calm in the Midst of Crazy Days

    How to be a Powerful Parent on the IEP Team

    Teach Your Baby to Communicate in Sign Language

    Five Smoothies to Kick Start your Day

    Getting Your Newborn Baby to Sleep

    What You Should Know About Your Child’s Hearing

    Marriage and Parenthood: Finding the Romance Again and Again

    Skip the Typical Florida Attractions: Five Fun Things to Do with Your Kids

    Scary Parenting Moments: Preparing Your Teen for the Driving Test

    Your Baby is Born and You’re Depressed. Now What? 

    How Not to Freak When Your Kid Brings Home a Snake

    Having the Courage to Parent YOUR Way

    Mason Jars: Ditch the Plastic and Use Glass Instead

    Concussions in Kids, What Parents Should Know

    The Sandwich Juggle: Caring for Parents While Parenting Your Own Children

     

     

  • Global Voices Of Social Media: Strength, Love, and Triumph

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    25 stories of women from all over the world with one common theme: strength, love, and triumph.

    I’m honored to have my story among these 25 amazing women. From adversity to triumph–each chapter captures the unique journey of what it takes to be passionately ALIVE.

    Download your copy for just .99 here:

    Global Voices of Social Media

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Inspiring Mom Bloggers Virtual Summit: 21 Inspiring Interviews

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    As a mom of three kids, I often find myself trying to juggle 20 things while typing a text and cooking dinner–all at once! And oh hey–look, a kite! No, wait, make that a squirrel flying a kite!

    If you find yourself juggling parenthood and you’ve lost yourself in the process, then you need to sign up for the Inspiring Mom Bloggers Summit!

    I am honored to have been chosen by the summit host, Elayna Fernandez ~ The Positive MOM, to be able to share my journey from pain to passion, give some insider tips on unwrapping your own passion, and inspire you to live a life of fun and joy! I met Elayna at a Passion Test training and I’ve been completely inspired by her journey–Elayna built her business as a single mom and rose to incredible success. She is now married to an amazing fellow and she helps others with their entrepreneurial dreams.

    On this summit, you will also hear 20 of the most inspiring moms in the blogosphere share their stories and how they overcame obstacles in their way and turned their pain into their purpose.

    I know that when you sign up for the Inspiring Mom Bloggers summit you will laugh, cry, and learn from all the inspiring, motivating, and uplifting messages that will be shared and that many lives will be touched.

    This summit starts January 5th and there will be a new speaker each day sharing their trials and triumphs with balancing mompreneurship, motherhood and everything in between! Topics include Balance, Finances, Conquering Fears, Health, Fitness, and Weight, Empowering Thoughts and Words, Marriage and Relationships, Grief,  Single Motherhood, Postpartum Depression, Unexpected Life Changes, Handling a Miscarriage, Healing Autism, Finding Joy in Physical Pain, Overcoming Obstacles, No Regrets SAHM, Overcoming Abuse, Homeschooling Expectations, and much more!

    There is NO COST for this online summit. Transcripts will be available. You can join the summit here: Yes, count me in! 

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  • In Praise of Vulnerability

    I was on the phone with a Tony Robbin’s coach, a 30-minute session that I received as gift during the launch of Tony’s new book, Money: Master the Game, 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom.  (I’m halfway through the book and have learned more about money than anything I’ve ever read before.)

    After going over the questionnaire I had filled out earlier and talking about my goals, the coach asked me a question. “Do you have a fear of being vulnerable?”

    At first, I didn’t want to answer that question with the truth. The strong, confident part of me wanted to say, “Oh no, I’m open and vulnerable all the time. For crying out loud, I teach other people to open up and reveal the beautiful, imperfect parts of themselves!”

    But the raw, dig-down, lets-get-real part of me knew the answer. I was afraid to be vulnerable. To open up. To allow hurt, disappointment, and anger to creep in, and heck, bust out. To acknowledge the areas where I’ve failed, said the wrong thing, made the wrong decisions, fell apart, or generally screwed up. Vulnerability is a scary thing.

    Yet, vulnerability is what connects us on another level. The more vulnerable we are, the more human we are. The more we show the inner depths of our being, the more we connect with others. In less than 30 minutes, this coach dug deep inside and came up with the reason I was dragging my feet on several things. The good news: fear of being vulnerable is simply a mindset. And a mindset, as we all know, is something we can change in an instant. A slight shift in perspective can change an outcome.

    I came across this quote from Brene’ Brown that really resonated with me:

    The truth is: Belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing that you’re enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable and imperfect.

    Brene goes into depth about the power of vulnerability in her TED talk. . And in the quote above, Brene expands on it as she wraps up her talk:

    This is what I have found: to let ourselves be seen,deeply seen, vulnerably seen; to love with our whole hearts, even though there’s no guarantee — and that’s really hard, and I can tell you as a parent, that’s excruciatingly difficult — to practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror, when we’re wondering, “Can I love you this much? Can I believe in this this passionately? Can I be this fierce about this?” just to be able to stop and, instead of catastrophizing what might happen, to say, “I’m just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I’m alive.” And the last, which I think is probably the most important, is to believe that we’re enough. Because when we work from a place, I believe, that says, “I’m enough,” then we stop screaming and start listening, we’re kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.

    It’s well worth the watch!

  • The Power of She: Don’t Put A Limit on What You Can Do

     

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    Five years ago, my husband Joe sent me a link that forever changed my life. It was a TODAY Show segment featuring Judy Myers, a 66-year-old barefoot water skier from California.

    Barefoot Water Skier is Landing on her Feet at 66

    Judy inspired me to get back on the water and dive back into my passion for barefoot water skiing. The “Old Lady” taught me many lessons on and off the water, including the biggest one of all: don’t put a limit on what you can do. Age really truly is a number–and you can choose to grow bolder instead of older.

    Catch Judy’s story (and mine) on “The Power of She” on Headline News:

    Making a Splash: Senior Barefooter, 71, Inspires

    Transcript included.

  • Sunsets, Synchronicity, and Beaches

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    The graffiti threw us for a loop as we drove closer and closer to our hotel on Venice Beach. Joe and I expressed some apprehension about the area. I had picked the Venice Beach Suites out of the blue–the ratings were good, the price was reasonable, and the hotel was on a beach known for great sunsets.  For our 25th anniversary, we wanted to watch a sunset on the beach. From a quick look around, we discovered it was also known for a “high” lifestyle.  We debated whether to move to a hotel in Santa Monica. After some discussion, we decided to stay.

    “There must be a reason why we ended up here,” I said.

    Why in the world had my intuition lead me to pick this hotel? I had reviewed several hotels, received recommendations for Santa Monica hotels from friends–and here we were–in an area more suited for the casual, freewheeling lifestyle.

    “It’s getting late,” Joe said. “Let’s make the best of it.”

    The 100-year old hotel was charming. The staff was friendly and welcoming. After we unloaded our luggage, we took off to explore the ocean walk. The energy was high (pun intended, as it truly was high, based on the marihuana we smelled here and there.) and color and movement were everywhere. A young man came bounding up, complimented me on how “fine” I looked and attempted to sell me a CD. The sun was beginning to lower, so Joe and I grabbed some beach chairs from the hotel and took off to watch the sunset.

    It was beautiful.

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    Just as the last of the light began to fade, a man walked up to us.

    “Hi! I’m sorry to bother you but I saw you taking pictures and I don’t have my phone with me. I wonder if you could send me some?”

    We were happy to share the photos. Francis was a psychotherapist from Boston. He was out visiting friends. Spirituality, theology, and yoga came up in conversation. We told him we were celebrating our upcoming 25th anniversary.

    When we arrived back at the hotel, we returned the beach chairs and struck up a conversation with Matt, the hotel manager. He gave us some history and showed us pictures of the renovation. Just as we were about to head up to our room, a woman breezed in. As she put down her luggage, I spied a bright blue bag with the words, “I Can Do It.”

    “Were you at the Wayne Dyer event in Pasadena Friday night?” I asked.

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    “I was! I think I saw you there!” she said.

    Beverly came from London to attend the weekend event to explore her purpose and future. It was the perfect time for her, as she was no longer working and she was seeking clarity and meaning for her next step. We laughed at the synchronicity that brought us all to the same place. After all, what are the chances of three people among 3000 attendees ending up at the same hotel miles away from the event, at the exact same moment, with one arriving and the other leaving?

    Wayne Dyer talks about moments of synchronicity in his new book, which is part memoir, “I Can See Clearly Now:”

    “If it excites you, the very presence of that inner excitement is all the evidence you need to remind you that you’re aligned with your true essence. When you are following your bliss, you are most amenable to receiving guidance from the spiritual realm. This is called synchronicity a state in which you almost feel as if you are in a collaborative arrangement with fate.”

    When we arrived back into our room, a text from Francis popped up. As I read his text, suddenly all the dots of the journey connected. He sent us a beautiful poem about marriage:

    A Blessing For Marriage

    As spring unfolds the dream of the earth,

    May you bring each other’s hearts to birth.

    As the ocean finds calm in view of land,

    May you love the gaze of each other’s mind.

    As the wind arises free and wild,

    May nothing negative control your lives.

    As kindly as moonlight might search the dark,

    So gentle may you be when light grows scarce.

    As surprised as the silence that music opens,

    May your words for each other be touched with reverence.

    As warmly as the air draws in the light,

    May you welcome each other’s every gift.

    As elegant as dream absorbing the night,

    May sleep find you clear of anger and hurt.

    As twilight harvests all the day’s color,

    May love bring you home to each other.

    – John O’Donohue

    Every day, I’m learning to trust God on this journey of life and to believe that each step of the path is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

    sailboat in sunset on venice beach

  • Parenting During the College Years

    Letting go isn’t easy.

    Not even the second time around.

    Today is Move In day for my daughter, Lauren. The little girl is now a college student and today’s the day I have to let go and say goodbye. Three years ago, the hubby was with me when we said goodbye to David. The tears started flowing during our final hug and the tears didn’t stop until well into the long drive home.

    I’m lying here in bed with my daughter next to me and the tears are already flowing this morning. I’m thankful she has her older brother on campus to ease the transition for her. As for me, I’ve discovered the transition is even harder the second time around. The first time around, you have no clue what’s coming around the bend. You have no idea that the reins of parenthood keep getting looser and looser, until your child becomes this young adult who no longer shares the minute details of their life. You have no idea that one day, you’ll have to beg for FaceTime in between classes, clubs, and social engagements. You have no idea that they’ll eventually plan vacations without the family.

    But the second time around, you know all this. The second time, you hang around just a little bit longer before letting go.

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