I believe that everyone has a passion for something. When we are doing what we have a passion for, we are happy campers. So what causes us to move away from or even temporarily suspend the activity that makes us happy?
I muse about this because I have resurrected a true passion of mine and
felt its joy. Again. It happened when I wrote the story of Scott
Newman's Family Pharmacy. The process of writing about Scott's passion
as a pharmacist triggered my own joy.
Over the years, I wrote many stories. All the stories in the early years
of my business. I was not even aware that I was missing the passion of
doing one of our stories, until writing about Scott's career as an
independent pharmacist!
Writing led me to most of my passions in life. Working for my hometown weekly newspaper, and wearing so many of the hats in doing so, was a forerunner to my creating The Shopper 38 years ago this month. It has not always been easy. It has always been my passion. It has always given me joy.
Surrounding the joy of having my own business with the freedom to be able to focus on other entrepreneurial businesses has kept me aware of how much we have in common. All of us who are family businesses share a bond, reminding us we are the foundation of America. There is a pride in knowing and being that.
Sometimes passions lead to business,
sometimes to hobbies, always to joy.
Whatever passion leads to our joy,
we need to recognize it,
to nurture it and follow where it leads.
sometimes to hobbies, always to joy.
Whatever passion leads to our joy,
we need to recognize it,
to nurture it and follow where it leads.
When we recognize, nurture and pursue our passions, they often relate to each other, as my passion for writing dovetails with my passion for publishing. I also recognize that the dozen full time employees and another dozen freelance writers of The Shopper Magazine, Doctor To Doctor Magazine and Main Street The Magazine share a passion for publishing. Those who are the organized among us also have very different passions than the creatives, except for those lucky enough to have both strengths.
When everything dovetails in a business, as in our personal lives, the energy it creates is almost palpable. I am so grateful to be surrounded by a team of professionals who contribute their individual passion for excellence in their field while sharing the passion of our business.
My editors are helping me ready a book begun long ago for publication and, in doing so, have created a division to help others, writers or not, to publish their books and memoirs. Passion, when welcome in our lives, grows. We just need to recognize our passion and embrace it!
Sometimes passions lead to business, sometimes to hobbies, always to joy. Whatever passion leads to our joy, we need to recognize it, to nurture it and follow where it leads.
Jean Loxley-Barnard has been a writer all her life and studied both sociology and psychology at George Washington University where she earned a B.A. Her company, The Shopper, Inc., encompasses all the Loxley-Barnard family publications - The Shopper Magazines and Doctor to Doctor Magazine. She has been in the advertising, consulting and publishing business for 39 years.