A Broken Clay Pot @ Digging out TRUE PASSION!

Every time I see a piece from a broken clay pot, it reminds me of an incident that had happened when I was 18 years old. I used to visit a very poor orphanage. I loved spending time with orphan kids. One evening, as I walked into this place, the kids were overly excited. “Hey what is happening?” I asked. “Why are you all so excited?” “Uncle, someone has donated a box of firecrackers” a boy said with his eyes beaming.  “Our warden said that we have to wait for you and start firing up the crackers under your supervision. Uncle, uncle please come. Let us start firing up”. So I selected four of the big boys for the task and got all the other kids around me. We sat near a door step watching the big boys burst the crackers. Oh the little ones were so excited. They clapped every time there was a sound. Then suddenly I saw, one of the boys placing a clay pot over a fire cracker. Hey don’t do it I screamed. I imagined the cracker bursting and the clay pot shattering. What if one of the pieces that shatter, hits those little ones around me? Oh it could be fatal. But it was too late. I heard the cracker explode and a big piece hit me. I did not care, but looked around anxiously if the kids were ok. “Uncle is bleeding shouted one boy.” “Oh blood, blood shouted other children.” I then realized –  I was bleeding heavily and my t-shirt was soaked with blood from my fore head. They brought me ice cubes to stop the bleeding. Several thoughts running through my head —  I predicted all the shouts and beatings that I would get if I go home and tell my parents. Why? Hey… we were poor and imagine the money spent for  doctor. Oh they are going to be mad at me. So…… I did not go home. Instead I went to play cricket with my friends with a deep cut on my fore head. Some of my friends negatively reasoned with me that I should never go to that orphanage again and another friend brought up the point that the authorities of the orphanage should have taken me to the hospital immediately. I ignored all those comments and enjoyed the game. Late in the evening, I dragged myself  home and I received my portion of scoldings before my mom took me to the nearby hospital. SIX stitches. hmm….My step mom warned me not to go to the orphanage again. But the very next day, I was there to see the kids with a huge bandage on my forehead. The kids were so relieved to see me.

Me, growing up in an alcoholic abusive home, why did I keep going back to the orphanage?

REASON: The time I spent with those poor orphan kids tugged my heart. It gave me meaning and purpose. As a teenager, connecting with kids was becoming my passion.

Passion is the energy that keeps us going. Passion is a powerful force in accomplishing anything you set your mind to do. When you are passionate you begin to enjoy what you do. Your productivity increases and your negativity decreases. You can’t fake passion you know. 

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious” said Albert Einstein.

“If you are not passionate enough from the start, you will never stick it out” said Steve Jobs the co-founder and soul of Apple

What are you passionate about? What tugs your heart? What would you love doing for the next 60 years? What energies you? 

Don’t drag yourself my friend. Bring passion into what you do. God has placed a passion that tugs your heart to do certain things. Others cannot do it with the passion you would do. As you journey through this year, get your passion right. Get your purpose tight.

In the month of June 2014, I was diagnosed with 25 spots in the brain. The doctors gave a name to it. They called it Multiple Sclerosis. My neurologist said that I need to change my profession and stop traveling. Oh I love traveling and speaking to kids and teens. I have traveled to 21 countries, to 180 cities for the last 20 years. I cannot imagine not doing this. I believe God has placed and helped me discover this passion in my life. I looked at my doctor and said, ‘doc, this is not my profession this is my passion’ I have not stopped. I am continuing to move on. Yes I am on some medications, yes I take extra rest and take sufficient breaks, but I have been doing perfectly well. 

 “Purposeful passion has the ability to patiently create patterns for success”. In my Think Tank Time I framed this sentence two days ago. This statement has deep meaning. Take time to think!

No broken piece can stop you, if you discover your PASSION. From a total different angle, even if you are like a broken clay pot, God placed PASSION can fire you up. DISCOVER YOUR PASSION! Find people who share your Passion!