A Life of Purpose and Passion: Misconception #1

{Photo found via Pinterest.}

This week, I am doing a series on the Top 5 Misconceptions about a Life of Purpose and Passion.

Misconception #1: Passionate people are angry (and that's always a bad thing.)

For many years I lived in an area of New York City known for its peaceful, yet sometimes robust, protests. The attendees were driven by their belief that change is important, and gather to make their voices heard. I've been at church meetings and political meetings where there is a proposed change, and individuals on both sides take the floor to voice their concerns. We've all seen, and perhaps been involved in, larger displays of national passion. What was the Arab Spring about, if not passion for a better future?

Every time I see that type of passion, I think, at least they care. Yes, sometimes they become angry. The struggle with passion lies in its relationship to both love and anger. Something that starts in love can easily cross the line into anger. Sometimes it's difficult to discern where one ends and the other begins, yet somewhere, embedded in an angry passion, is love.

Even in anger, passionate people care enough to show up and do something and fight for what they want. Even as one or both sides may become angry, they are deeply invested in the outcome. Passionate people are involved in their communities and in the lives of the people around them. 

Over the long term, apathy is much worse than passion gone awry. Apathy leads to bored people in declining communities, devoid of innovation, losing hope.

Sometimes passion stays in the realm of loving commitment. There is passion behind every person who quietly creates change in his or her community, even when it never makes the news. There is passion driving people who launch a new program, raise money for a charity, or spread awareness about an issue. There is a more celebrated passion among Olympic athletes, software developers, and novelists.


In some circles, grand displays of emotion, both positive and negative, are generally frowned upon. People are uncomfortable with passion on either end of the spectrum. Things still get done, but in a much different way. However, we must not forget the quiet passion of a mother who goes the extra mile for her child. There is passion driving the ladies who make quilts to send overseas and the local grocer who takes pride in keeping his store clean every single day.

And I hope there is passion driving you.

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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City next Tuesday, May 8, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization this fall.

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Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Thursday Thoughts: Are you holding on?

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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog plus the story of how I became an Urban Nomad, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City on May 8, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in May or August, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Tuesday Travel Tip: Carry an Extra Layer

{Photo found via Pinterest}

Sometimes rain is fun, and sometimes you just end up wet and cold.

Sometimes rain creates a pleasant mist, and sometimes it rains so hard that even a quick dash to a car leaves you soaked.

And that, my friends, is the reason to never travel with only the bare minimum of clothing. When you get home all soaked and cold, you need the option to change into something dry.

When I lead hikes in the Rocky Mountains, one of my fellow counselors always carried one extra layer that he never put on. This was a bold choice, since we actually carried everything on our backs over rough terrain at high altitudes.

The reason he gave is that no matter how cold or wet he got, he knew that he had one more warm, dry layer waiting for him. Knowing that he had it was more important than actually putting it on.

If you are going to be somewhere that you cannot get home quickly and easily, have one more warm, dry layer somewhere.
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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog including other adventures from my time in the Rocky Mountains, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City on May 8, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in May or August, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Monday Musing: The Gift of Doors

{Second story doors in the French Quarter, New Orleans}

I love doors, both literally and figuratively. In New York, we are warned at every stop on the subway to "please stand clear of the closing doors." These are literal doors that will close on you and not feel so good if you get caught in them. In The Sound of Music, Mother Superior says, "When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window." These are the figurative doors of which good musicals are made. The character finds a new, creative way to get to the other side.

When a door stays open, you don't have to make a choice about whether you want to be inside or outside. People, sound, light and everything else flows freely in and out. Sometimes this is desirable because you don't have to make a choice about whether to be inside or outside. When I was living in Florida, many people had their living rooms set up in their garages. I even saw a couple fully decorated Christmas trees in garages. On nice days (which was almost every day) they opened the garage door and had a pleasant indoor/outdoor space. They didn't have to make a choice about being inside or outside. They had both.

Sometimes there is a door, but it opens easily and stays open. Opportunities arise, we grab them, and the rest is history. However, there are times in life when a closed door helps us. It forces us to make a choice about being inside or outside. When faced with an obstacle, we must make a commitment to remove the obstacle or walk away. When things come easily, we don't have this moment of decision, and it doesn't serve us well. One example is in this New York Times article on the downside of cohabitating before marriage. Couples just eased into a relationship without ever assessing whether they really wanted it. In many cases, it turned out they didn't really want it.

When something does not come easily, assess whether you really want it. Welcome the "closed door" as an opportunity to consider your options. If you really want it, find the open window that Mother Superior was talking about.

***
To read a curated collection of posts from this blog plus other writings of mine, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City on May 8, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in May or August, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Thursday Thoughts: The Soul Always Knows

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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog plus other writings of mine, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in May or August, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Monday Musing: Creative Remix

{Book Release cabaret, photo by Nathan Lind}

You may have read that I wrote a book. (I wrote a book! You can buy it here.) I knew that I wanted to do a book release party of some sort, but I wasn't sure exactly what that would be. Then one day, going about the mundane business of my day, I suddenly knew what it needed to be: a cabaret of show tunes on the themes in the book. And thus the Urban Nomad Life Coach Cabaret and Book Release Party was born.

Yesterday, less than a month after having the idea, I had the world premiere of the event. Things can happen quickly if they are a creative remix of things you have done in the past. All of the months and years of writing, singing, coaching and creating events all came together. It also doesn't hurt that I had a team of amazing people offer to help in many and various ways. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to do it again in New York on May 7 and potentially other places.

How can you "remix" some of the things with which you are gifted into something new, exciting and life giving?

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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog plus other writings of mine, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in May or August, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Tuesday Travel Tip: Curate Your Photos

{One of my photos from a recent walk in the park}

More is not always better, and this includes photos. When you travel or experience a major life event, you might be inclined to take photos, and then post them on your favorite social media site or share them with friends. As with many things, this should always be done in moderation. Why? If you share them all, two things will happen:

• No one will want to look at them all, thereby missing the best ones at the end.
• You may include a photo where someone looks truly awkward and won't appreciate your sharing it.

Just like a museum curator or a film director, help people see what's important by cutting out the parts that are not important. Respect your audience enough to delete the bad ones and not waste their time. I have a friend who has a entire online photo album for each day of his son's life. I'd love to see a few cute photos, but I stopped looking long ago. It's simply too much. I'm going to miss something wonderful at some point, but that's the risk I'm going to take.

Curate a short photographic recap of your event, and your friends will appreciate your efforts.

***
To read a curated collection of posts from this blog plus other writings of mine, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret currently planned for St. Paul and New York City, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in April or May, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Thursday Thoughts: What Do You Want to Be Known For?

{Photo credit: http://thoughtquestions.com/page/2 via Pinterest}

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Ask these and other important questions in the 4 month eCourse that starts this Monday, April 9! Join our world wide movement of Good People Going Great Places. You'll be in a group of intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded people as they examine questions of identity, purpose and passion, and then actually do something to make a difference in your world. Find out more, and register today.

Check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret currently planned for St. Paul and New York City, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in April or May, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Tuesday Travel Tip: Give Yourself (even more) Extra Time

{Photo credit: http://www.benjerry.com}

I have written other blog posts about the importance of leaving extra time for travel to any destination of any importance. My previous posts focused on reducing your own stress when you encounter roadblocks on your journey and honoring the other person by not keeping them waiting or wondering where you are. Those are still valid reasons for giving yourself plenty of time.

Recently I noticed another reason to give yourself plenty of time: it allows you the freedom to take advantage of unexpected opportunities along the way. Let's say, for example, that you didn't know that Tuesday, April 3, 2012 was Ben and Jerry's free cone day. Then, on your way somewhere else, you happen to pass a Ben and Jerry's. If you gave yourself plenty of time, you have the freedom to stop and get your free ice cream cone. If you are running late, you miss out on an opportunity.

It's almost like you get to have a free ice cream cone as a reward for leaving early. How nice.

Of course, now you know that today is free ice cream cone day, so plan that into your day, but leave yourself plenty of time. The line may be long.

***
Check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret currently planned for St. Paul and New York City, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in April or May, 2012.

Join our world wide movement of Good People Going Great Places in an eCourse that begins April 9. You'll be in a group of intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded people as they examine questions of identity, purpose and passion, and then actually do something to make a difference in your world. Find out more, and register today.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Monday Musing: Living Outside Your Comfort Zone

{Photo found via Pinterest}

There are a few questions to which I am never sure how to answer.

"How did you sleep?"
(Fine, I guess. How do I assess that, exactly?)

"Where do you live?"
(This is a can of worms for a person who has no permanent residence.)

"Are you doing this actor/life coach/author thing forever?"

I realize that those who ask don't truly mean forever, but I think they mean for the rest of my professional career. A question like that implies that all of the major decisions about my career are behind me. I suppose there are still some people who decide what they will "be" in their twenties, and then they spend several decades making a progression through one career.

 That's not what I'm doing.

I don't truly believe that every door is still open to me. For example, I definitely don't want to go back to grad school, which precludes me from becoming a doctor or a lawyer or some such thing. I also am much less willing than I once was to carry anything heavy or sleep on the ground for more than a week, which rules out any number of careers. (Himalayan climbing guide comes to mind.)

However, I don't know that I'll be an actor/life coach/author "forever." I might, or I'll be whatever comes after that. Even though I don't know what's next, I know it will be something that makes sense. What I am now flows nicely out of experiences and interests I had ten years ago. I continue to be the same person, growing and changing in relationship to the people and opportunities around me, and the ways in which my skills and talents can better serve others in new situations. I like to think that I am cultivating a life of meaning, not just playing out the logical conclusions to decisions I made long ago. I'm willing to take the risks, explore the next opportunity, and yet trust myself to not lose focus and direction.

My life as it is today is something I never could have imagined ten years ago. How could I possibly know the things for which I am preparing myself in another decade or two or three? I can only imagine how I'll be able to serve in the coming decades, but I am excited to figure that out. What I do know is that I will be attempting to push my comfort zone and live more fully every step of the way.

***
If you are happy in your comfort zone, I'm happy for you. If you are ready to change your world, and in turn change the whole world, let's talk! Check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret currently planned for St. Paul and New York City, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in April or May, 2012.

Ask these and other important questions by enrolling in the 4 month eCourse that starts April 9! Join our world wide movement of Good People Going Great Places. You'll be in a group of intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded people as they examine questions of identity, purpose and passion, and then actually do something to make a difference in your world. Find out more, and register today.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.