| "Books are for people who wish they were | | | | If You Don't have the Cash Write down the titles |
| somewhere else." ~ Mark Twain | | | | of your choices. Can you categorize them? What |
| How to Find Your Passion Want to know how to | | | | inspires you about them? What excited you? If |
| figure out your passion? Go to a bookstore. Go | | | | you can pinpoint that, go to the magazine section |
| to a large bookstore, better, travel to Mecca (In | | | | and see if there isn't a magazine covering the |
| my case, Powell's in Portland). Once inside the | | | | very theme you just unearthed. Buy one or two |
| fabulous bookstore, you can embark on one of | | | | magazines that express what those favorite |
| the most inexpensive way to discover what really | | | | books represent. |
| drives you. | | | | Spend Time with Your Dream For years, my |
| This activity can cost money or not depending on | | | | father talked about buying a boat and sail around |
| your budget. If you have no money, then bring | | | | the world -- retirement plan A. My mother was |
| paper and a pen. If you have money, bring it. | | | | appalled at the very idea. But, since they weren't |
| Dress in comfortable clothes and plan to spend a | | | | launching into the Pacific tomorrow (we lived in |
| minimum of two hours on this project. And I say | | | | the mountains), she held her tongue. My dad |
| this because in the first half hour in the | | | | bought probably 40 books on sailing and |
| bookstore, you will wander to whatever shelf you | | | | adventures on the high seas. He subscribed to |
| normally haunt. You will check out the golf books, | | | | boating magazines. He talked about it at the dinner |
| the yoga tapes and the business sections, | | | | table, the advantages of one kind of boat over |
| diligently reviewing the latest offering from Robert | | | | another (I have no information on boats to share. |
| Kiyosaki or from the how to make millions right | | | | I was a teenager at the time and not really |
| now series. Go ahead, work those polite | | | | listening). He enjoyed the research thoroughly; it |
| observances and habits out of your system first. | | | | kept the dream and the fantasy alive for him. |
| Now, where do you really want to go? Do you | | | | Finally, when the dream was getting too close for |
| want to touch all the mystery books on the | | | | comfort and my dad began pulling out calendars |
| shelf? Do you want to look at dictionaries and | | | | and counting backwards from his retirement date, |
| obsess about owning your own hard copy of the | | | | my mother suggested a sailing trip through the |
| OED? (or is that just me?) Are you standing in | | | | San Juan Islands with college friends who already |
| front of the gardening section and have no idea | | | | knew how to sail. "Let's give it a try" is how she |
| how you got here because you have NEVER paid | | | | framed it. And so they did. |
| attention to that aisle before? | | | | Upon his return my dad was very sad. It turned |
| Did you spend an hour in the humor section? | | | | out that sitting on a small boat 24/7 was boring. |
| Don't forget the magazine rack. What do you | | | | He did not want to go to all the effort to sail |
| gravitate toward? What do you usually read? | | | | around the world just to be bored during the 95 |
| Does that advice resonate anymore? Have you | | | | percent of the time they'd be at sea. |
| moved on? | | | | Sadly, he had to move on to plan B. |
| Take the books Pull out the books that speak to | | | | However, he did not regret the time he spent |
| you. It doesn't matter that they aren't what you | | | | fantasying about the trip, thinking of the |
| usually read. It doesn't matter that you've never | | | | possibilities, talking with sailors and captains and |
| pulled books from this section before. Just pull | | | | learning new things. |
| them out. | | | | Spending time on a dream is not wasted time. |
| Now, take them to a table and deal them out like | | | | Your life and imagination will be enriched for the |
| tarot cards. | | | | effort. Dream, be and if you're like my father, |
| What do you see? Wow, who knew? That's the | | | | you'll have a whole narrative on how you once |
| point of this exercise. | | | | wanted to run away to sea. |
| If You Have the Cash Purchase the top three to | | | | However, he did not regret the time he spent |
| five books that you suddenly love. Fiction is just | | | | fantasying about the trip, thinking of the |
| fine. Did you pull down all fiction? Is there a | | | | possibilities, talking with sailors and captains and |
| discernible theme to the choices? | | | | learning new things. |
| Buy the beautiful book on Victorian gardens. Pick | | | | Spending time on a dream is not wasted time. |
| up the copies of the last four novels by your | | | | Your life and imagination will be enriched for the |
| favorite author. Go ahead and get the beading | | | | effort. Dream, be and if you're like my father, |
| book. Bring them home and contemplate what | | | | you'll have a whole narrative on how you once |
| these books are telling you. | | | | wanted to run away to sea. |