Guest blogger: At the Red Table

Today I'm swapping blogs with food blogger, skillful writer, amateur photographer and my amazing friend, Amanda, who's blog, At the Red Table, inspires me to enjoy the art of cooking (and makes me jealous of her food photo talents). Amanda and I met back in college; well, I was in college and she was a graduate student. We worked together at our University and I look back at those years as some of the most FUN of my life. Amanda was a huge part of these memories. She's the type of friend who, even if you only speak a few times a year, you always pick up right where you left off. We've had the pleasure of participating in several awkward situations, dating less-than-desirable men and swapping the stories, and supporting each other through many career transitions. We've both been down rocky roads but I've so enjoyed seeing her create a vibrant, passionate life for herself.  I heart this girl, her blog and her spirit and I know you will too. 

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Right after college, I dated a guy who told me that I had no passion. This was an eye-opening comment for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that I had PLENTY of passion: I loved my college experience, I loved the community I had developed, I was passionate about leadership and writing and my friends and creativity. I had a passion for making connections and learning to communicate on deeper levels. I had passion coming out my ears. I had passion enough for two people and a small child, plus a dog. One of my best friends even assured me that I was, in fact, one of the most passionate people she’d ever met.

So, what the heck was that guy talking about? (By the way, the relationship did not work out. Big surprise.)

Well, unfortunately, at the time, he was probably right in a way. I didn’t have a clear direction for my life after college. I didn’t have a job that I loved, and I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with my life. I planned to go to grad school, I planned to start a career with writing at the center of it, I planned to move to a different city. I did a lot of planning and waited around for my life to start. I loved writing. I loved learning. However, without the structure and deadlines of college, I had no reason to do either. The result? I became a seemingly passionless person.

While that guy’s assessment wasn’t completely accurate, I realize now that no matter what stage of life you’re in, no matter what job you work to pay the bills, if you can’t live out your passion in some form, it will probably always feel like something is missing. If you’re lucky, or maybe if you’re just a creative entrepreneur, you can get paid to live out your passion -- in other words, you can get a job doing what you love. However, for a lot of people, jobs might not be the best outlet for their passion -- and that’s okay. That’s where hobbies, travel, people and experiences come in. Americans spend a lot of hours working, so if you’re not passionate about it, fill up your free time with things that make you passionate and give you something to look forward to.

My passions have always revolved around writing and learning new things. A few of my jobs incorporated these aspects, but not to the extent I wanted. So, I created an outlet -- my food blog called at the red table. It’s a place where I can write, tell stories and share experiences. Plus, I get to learn more about and share a passion I’ve developed over the last couple of years: cooking and food. In the process, I’ve learned how to design a blog and contribute to a food blogging community. I’ve learned how to operate my fancy camera and optimize photos in Photoshop. Most importantly, doing what I love on the side helped me score a great job in marketing that’s the perfect fit for my skills and creativity.

So now, I get the best of both worlds. Whether it’s mountain biking, walking dogs at the shelter, sharing recipes, scrapbooking, volunteering or the job you get paid to do every day, find something that you are passionate about, that fills you up, that keeps you going. It’s essential to your overall wellness, happiness and productivity. Trust me. I speak from experience -- and a very full, very delicious plate.