Even though R.E.M. is one of my favorite bands of all time, this post is not about them (although I should do a post about them someday).  The only thing this post has in common with R.E.M. is the title.  I came across this article the other day about a man who spent 17 years hand crafting a Lamborghini Countach in his basement. 17 years it took him, and he did it by himself in his basement.  Best part of the story, there was no way to get the car out of the basement when he was finished, so he had to hire a contractor to dig out his basement and cut a hole in the wall.

After reading this post, I started thinking about being passionate and what it meant to me.  Being passionate is sticking with things when times are tough, because you know there is a greater cause that you are working towards.  Passion is what carries you when you think the deck is stacked against you and it looks like nothing is going your way.  Passion is the satisfaction that you get from even the smallest of things, when to others they seem meaningless.  When other are ready to through in the towel, that is when passion kicks in.

Unfortunately you cannot be passionate about everything in life, but you get to choose the things that you are passionate about.  For me, I have chosen to be passionate about my family.  My family is the reason I get up everyday, I can not think of anything I would rather be doing than being a husband and father.  That is not to say that being either has been easy, but that is where the passion comes in.

What are you passionate about?

When I started blogging almost two years ago, I was very hesitant that I would have nothing to say, that no one would want to read my drivel and that even if I did find things to write about, eventually I would run out.  There have been times over the course of the last two years that I have felt like I may be approaching that wall, but then there are times that I felt like I have so much to say and not enough time.  Luckily for those that read my blog, I have not closed up shop and moved on, I know that what I write has become so critical to their daily lives (everyone can go ahead and laugh now) :-).

I have learned a lot throughout this time, have gotten some great comments and feedback, and have even managed to pick up a few new readers along the way.  I never thought that by me blogging that it would lead to anything, it was more of a way for me to write down my thoughts.  I have friends that are much more prolific bloggers and have seen the fruits of their labors first hand, from meeting new people to even landing new jobs.  Blogging is an amazing thing, you never know what can come of it.

Today was that day for me (in a small, but meaningful way).  I received an e-mail from someone at BrazenCareerist and they wanted me to be a guest blogger for the career community.  At first I thought it was a joke, but low and behold they were for real.   They are a career site more geared towards the Gen Yers, (I am just a tad outside of that generation), but they liked my blog enough to want me to be a guest blogger.  I am honored and thankful, proud that enough people find my blog interesting enough to want to include me in their community.

For those that have thought that they would like to start blogging, but think they do not have the time or that no one will find what they have to say interesting, I say go for it.  You never know who is going to find what you have to say interesting or where it may lead you, but you will never know unless you try.

.