Author Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm excited to introduce y'all to my friend Sam Davidson -- a writer, entrepreneur, and dreamer who believes that the world needs more passionate people. To help people find and live their passion, he has written 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need. He is the co-founder of Cool People Care and Proof Branding, and lives in Nashville with his wife and daughter.  You can find Sam's blog HERE.

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Being who you are is so hard. But, it's crucial that we step up to this important task. As Oscar Wilde noted, "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."

It can be very difficult to be ourselves, especially in a world that demands we be something completely other than ourselves. Media, billboards, celebrities, commercials - they all scream at us to be thinner, sexier, happier, flashier, richer. Try as we might, at the end of the day, when we think back as to how we spent the last 24 hours, we may never be able to say that we accomplished everything we set out to do.

But maybe - just maybe - we can say that we became everything we set out to be.

I believe the world needs more passionate people - people who are alive and dreaming and daring and trying new things. The world needs you to love deeply, smile widely, cry sorrowfully, and hope fully. The world needs to you love your job, treasure your spouse, enjoy every bite of that cupcake, and thank your lucky stars every chance you get to try something new. The world needs passionate teachers, managers, dancers, waiters, mail carriers, designers, and drivers.

But most of all, the world needs you to be you. And the best way to be you is to find your passion.

Here are three quick questions to ask yourself in order to find your passion:

1 - What do I think about the most?
Chances are you spend time daydreaming or lying awake at night or standing in line and your mind wanders. Where does it go? What do you think about when you think about nothing at all? This could offer a keen insight into a potential passion.

2 - What do I value?
What's important to you and what do other people think is important to you? Your values - your morals, your sense of right and wrong, your religious convictions - could be pointing you down a very passionate pathway.

3 - When do I feel fulfilled?
If you find yourself proud about a job well done or satisfied with an accomplishment, embrace it. In fact, dive a little deeper. Discover what it was about the experience that left you with such a great feeling. You've got to get more of that. Explore it.

In 50 Things Your Life Doesn't Need, I ask three more questions to help you think about your passion. If you're ready to dive in and be the best you possible, check out the book, or answer the following question in the comments below to win a signed copy!


Question: What are you passionate about?

-- Sam
(winner will be chosen at the end of next week)

Comments

  1. He sounds like such a great guy:) I would love to read this book:) I am really passionate about my work/writing, baking and making myself and my family very happy:)
    hahha
    Happy Friday, darling

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  2. Wow, he sounds really interesting. I think I'd love to read his book. I'm passionate about teaching. I really love to help others succeed. I have to make sure I'm always focused on what it is I'm passionate about because in a career as a professor it is so easy to get caught up in the publish or perish attitude.


    http://ashleyanderic.blogspot.com

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  3. I absolutely love this! There def needs to be more passionate people! I need to read this book! Thanks for having him guest post! :)

    Have a great weekend Blair! <333

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  4. Forgot to post what I am passionate about... Cupcakes and making others happy. I have a huge heart for caring for others. Making someone smile gives me joy! :)

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  5. Wow! What a great book!
    My Passions, well, the best way to describe it is to say...Im passionate about all living things; animals, people, the environment. Basically its my life's work to be there for the underdog. I help rescue and adopt out forgotten and abandoned animals, I fight for the rights of women and gays. And im studying to deal with water issues concerning conservation and water rights (I hope to start my own Non-Profit). All in all I just want to help, and its truly passion and compassion that drives me!
    marloweopat at gmail dot com

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  6. Oh my goodness, I've been WANTING this book! so excited you're giving one away! I'm passionate about photography. About capturing people's lives through their eyes and mine. I'm starting my own business (slow and steady)and it's been hard work, but rewarding.

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  7. what an awesome book! i would really love to read it! ...i am passionate about traveling! i love learning about everything else and being out of my comfort zone to try new things! xo

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  8. I love these three questions! They are great. I am passionate about creativity, specifically, creative writing and a little art/fashion thrown in there. I'm also really passionate about the environment and yoga.

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  9. I'm so glad you've introduced us to Sam, Blair! I would love to read the book!

    I'm most passionate about being happy in my life. It sounds corny but it's something that matters so much to me and my life really revolves around being able to smile daily. My other passion is painting. I dream about it, I'm happy when I'm doing it and I'm most proud of my artistic accomplishments.

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  10. What a great idea for a book. I resisted commenting at first because I didn't have a gut reaction about what I was passionate about. (See? I need this book!) Anyway, if I HAD to come up with an answer, it would be family. These people are the most important things in my life. Without them I would be lost.

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  11. i love this. we do need more people like this. i may have to buy that book. i recently quit my "day job" in the non-profit sector to pursue what i love which is design. it's an expensive start up from home, but i love it and who knows...maybe in 5 years i'll have a store front.

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  12. Looks like an amazing book! Have a great weekend!

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  13. I'm passionate about finding new ways to encourage better urban environments. That means making it easier to know your neighbors, making it walkable and livable. It more than anything else guides what I choose to read, write and think about (almost to a fault).

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  14. I'm passionate about civic engagement. I believe our country and town is great because great people shape its policies by voting, communicating with people in and running for public office. I love to encourage people to do that.

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  15. I'm passionate about improving my community through the potential leadership around me. I work to inspire others to make change.

    I asked for this book for my birthday this week... it would be great to win it instead!

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  16. This sounds like such a fabulous book, Blair. I've been meaning to go check it out and this just makes me more motivated to do so :)

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  17. Of what I've read so far from Amazon.com, it's a great book. It's a book I think everyone needs to read. As for what I'm passionate about...I'm not sure if I have one thing I'm really passionate about. I love children, and working with children. I'm not sure if I'm passionate about it, or I've just worked with them so long it seems to be a passion. But I'm excited to check out his book and discover what it is I'm really passionate about. Or even more than one thing I'm passionate about!

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  18. This looks like such a good book and such a interesting topic also. I'm all about downsizing!! I'm passionate about people being treated like human beings, in the area of human rights, etc. Random I know.

    And Blair, oh my gosh, don't worry about not being around, you have to take care of yourself! Hope you are feeling better. Sometimes you just have to 'mark all as read' and start over ;)

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  19. I am passionate about teaching. I initially did not want to be a teacher, thus, I took Literature in college instead of Education. However, it seems that this profession chose me as now I find myself teaching in college and enjoying every bit of it. I come from a family of teachers so I wanted to carve a different path for myself. Thank you for the giveaway!

    khrisocubillo at yahoo dot com

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  20. Wow - you all are so kind. Thanks for the comments and kind words! It's exciting to see what everyone is passionate about. Best of luck in pursuing those to the fullest!s

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  21. what a great post. I am passionate about bringing humanity back to the workplace and stamping out office bullying and A-hole boss syndrome. It really gets me going. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, the more I see the erosion of humanity at work the more it fuels my passion to fight back and help others voice their values with dignity.

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  22. I am passionate about art. Art functions on so many levels: as educator, as entertainer. Art saved the people from the 1930s depression (with a little help from FDR). It gave them hope, and allowed them to escape, it taught them to imagine a time that would be. Art is the imagination, without which, we would not survive. Even in the gravest of situations, if a person can exercise creativity, there is hope for survival. Feeding the starving, clothing the naked and warming the freezing helps too, but art, art sustains life as well.

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