LIVING OUR LIVES WITH PASSION: PURSUING OUR DREAMS ENTHUSIASTICALLY

Thanks to commercialized media, the word “passion” has sometimes taken on narrow definitions with connotations that are not always appropriate in polite company, or—thanks to Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of Christ”—evoke intense religious emotions.

One of my favorite meanings of the word is “boundless enthusiasm,” the third most frequently used sense of the term, according to Webster.  Enthusiasm is vibrant, contagious, practical, influential, idealistic, enhancing the lives and persons of a spectrum of people, from rich and famous, to ordinary or obscure.

Enthusiasm resides, or can reside, in each of us…and it can make an immense difference in the quality of our lives.

Who Has “Passion”?

It’s all around us, in places you’d least expect to see “boundless enthusiasm.” But when you see it—especially when you see it in persons whose lives are challenging, persons who struggle each day to make a living, persons who might feel sometimes that life is unfair—enthusiasm is especially remarkable.

The Jennifer Lopez’s and Mariah Carey’s of the world are admirable for their enthusiasm and passion for their work (and may this passion continue unabated!), but passion may require a bit more commitment when it’s rooted in the stony soil of hardship.

Latina Pioneer with Passion to Spare!

A historic example of a famous Latina living with passion is Eulalia Perez de Guillen de Mariné, who flourished in the late 1800’s and was one of the most famous Southern California pioneers and one of the few influential non-aristocratic women of her time.

Her story and photo are included in a local author’s, Roberta Martinez, engrossing book titled Latinos in Pasadena (my hometown).

According to Roberta, Eulalia was born in Mexico, came to San Diego as a soldier’s wife, gave birth to 12 children, was an accomplished dancer, was “literate, was a midwife, and was devoted to church and family.”

As a widow, she carried on her life of service and was entrusted as the “keeper of keys” at the San Gabriel Mission, where—“capable, clever, and disciplined”—she basically ran the mission, overseeing all matters not handled by the priests or the military.

As a testament to her passion for accomplishments and service to others, she was given 14,000 acres of “desecularized” mission land, called Rancho San Pascual, on which now sit the beautiful cities of Pasadena, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, San Marino, and LaCanada, all in Los Angeles County.

A Mexican immigrant who helped carve our California history! That was Eulalia, a woman few people have even heard of but who touched the lives of many.

How Do We  Show Passion for Living?

When you’re engaged in activities that fill you with joy, peace, love, satisfaction, pride, or any other heart-stirring emotion, you’re probably doing those activities with passion. It can be:

• a quiet passion, such as that of Mother Theresa in ministering to the poor, starving lepers of India.

• a stirring passion, such as that of Frida Kahlo, the colorful Mexican artist.

• a life-endangering passion, such as that of race-car driver Danika Patrick.

Or it can be something in between: not in the public spotlight, not bringing us fame, Nobel Prizes, trophies, or fortunes.

The fortunes are the inner rewards we feel in doing our work with enthusiasm, knowing that, undoubtedly, somebody will benefit from our labors.

• Noemi, a young public school math teacher, is devoted to her high-risk teens, pushing them to be successful, serving on committees to improve education for disadvantaged kids. She has three young children of her own and has just earned a Master’s degree studying part-time. This Latina has passion!

• Maria, a volunteer community activist in her 60’s, serves on two city commissions, a number of nonprofit organization boards, and speaks out in her soft, calm voice against discrimination of any type. She advocates for youth of all colors and is not afraid to ruffle feathers by doing so. This Latina has passion!

• Cristina, a native of Mexico who married an American Latino 20 years ago, didn’t speak English and had never lived in the U.S. She now lives in Texas, is fully literate in English, earned a degree in Culinary Arts, freelances by making the most gorgeous, creative cakes and shrimp paellas, and runs an occasional excursion business, taking her American friends in chartered buses to charming towns in Mexico and feeding them gourmet sandwiches along the way. This Latina has passion!

Live Your Life with Passion!

Go ahead. Find what you love, what makes you feel complete and energized.

• Is it volunteering and helping others?
• Do you need to go back to school to brush up on skills, or learn new ones?
• Do you need to marshal your friends or family around you?
• Can you do this labor of love from home, as things are now; or do you need to find other ways, other places to do it?

Whatever you need to do, start doing it as soon as you can.

When we live life with passion, it’s a happier life, not only for us, but for those who benefit from our passion. Since we all know life is too short… get going!