There are those people we admire "who've made it," who have accomplished great things in life, whether famous or not. These individuals have created something with their minds, hands and imagination making life easier and more enjoyable for the rest of us. Some ideas seem so simple yet so effective, others overly complex and simultaneously simplistic.
I believe we frequently mistake the doers of the world for incredibly intelligent over-achievers. But what I've found in my life is that nothing could be further from the truth. On the contrary, I've found those who have achieved some level of greatness, have done something I perceive as great, each have one common trait: passion.
Innate ability is God given. It's talent given to an individual for a purpose. That ability may be spectacular athleticism or possibly an acute artistic talent. Whatever the gift, it comes natural to a person and is sometimes squandered by those who lack passion.
The person who has drive and passion will accomplish more than the average person lacking both, quite often even if the person lacking both is smarter. Passion is fuel, passion is energy and passion is courage in the face of adversity. It sometimes supplants intellect because it pushes a person to accomplish the unimaginable. Passion eats at a person's mind to unleash the idea and free it from the person's soul.
Just this week I witnessed passion--and seeing it wielded by a legend made it appear effortless and God given. For many years I've yearned to see B.B. King perform live in concert for no other reasons than loving his music and wanting to see a musical dynamo. But when I watched an eighty-eight year old diabetic man helped to his chair in the center of a stage pick up a guitar and play it like it was the love of his life, I knew then and there what true passion was.
B.B. King sang on key, hit every note righteously on his guitar and genuinely had a great time performing. I quickly realized I was witnessing poetry in motion--this is a man fueled by a passion few others have. Does he need the money he earns for performing? I doubt it. Does his ego require more fame? Heck no! What then, drives a man, almost a century old, to continue traveling around the world performing and singing for people?
I long for internal passion and desire! Sometimes I have it, but most of the time I'm simply lazy and ignore its beck and bite in my mind. I turn a blind eye to its calling; no more! Seeing what I did this week has moved me.
Mr. King, "you are my sunshine."
