My Passions

For someone like me, it is difficult to find just one passion.  I have always found something interesting about nearly everything that I have been involved in.  From the time I was a kid up until now, I kept changing what career I desired to have.  I guess it is because I cannot see myself doing one thing the rest of my life, when there is so much out there to investigate and learn.  I have several different passions that I would like to share.

One of my oldest and most understood passions is the desire to know how things work, and what causes them to work like they do.  This is an interest that has been with me since I can remember.  It all started when I had my first toy car and truck. I would always pretend that they were real, and that they made realistic car like noises. I would be fascinated with the moving parts and sometimes would even take apart some of the bigger toys, then put them back together. All the way through grade school and high school, I kept up this pursuit. Eventually, I ended up attending a technical school in Ohio where I majored in diesel and hydraulic systems. I can now say that I am very up to speed on how all the technology in my everyday life works. This includes, but is not limited to: my vehicles, home appliances, radios, lawn mower and the air conditioning unit at the house.

Knowledge of how things work has been more than just a passion though. It has become a blessing in disguise. Over recent years, I found myself having to repair my various vehicles when they had a mechanical problem.  This would have cost me potentially thousands of dollars in repair costs. Fortunately, since I am passionate about mechanical systems and how to repair them, I was usually able to complete the repair myself without spending hundreds of dollars every time at the shop. Sometimes I have even had friends call me up and ask me to look at their car or lawn mower.  I usually don’t hesitate to do so, especially if I am not busy with something already.  Because of this, I am well known for being the knowledgeable guy who friends can depend on to help them when they are in a bind.

Another passion of mine, which has revealed itself more recently, is that of horticulture and landscaping.  Having lived on a small farm for most of my life, it is no surprise that horticulture and agriculture is high on my list of favorite things. Back in 2007, I decided to take landscaping classes and get my commercial landscaping license. This was a pursuit in which I had to shift from a mechanical mindset, to more of a nature and science based way of thinking.  I found out quickly, that horticulture was going to test me in ways that I was not familiar with. One example would be that I had to memorize the common names and scientific names for dozens of different plants that grow in this area. Before long, it would become a habit of mine to attempt to identify every tree, bush and type of turf grass that I came across.  This acted as my practice for the big landscape license test that was to come. If I could identify the plant genus and species, and also know exactly what conditions to use them in, I would pass the test for sure. Staying motivated and not wasting an opportunity was the best thing for me to do, to learn these plants in time for the exam.  

However recently, I have come to understand, that the true center of my passion revolves around learning and understanding.  Understanding everything that is unknown to me and improving my understanding of that which I am already familiar with.  I usually find that I am not content with just knowing the basics.  I have to push myself further because I am concerned with being more of an expert as opposed to being a novice.  I am again going to implement these same learning plans in the new blog I have started.  I have plans to blog about natural health products, one product of which I am using and marketing, and learn about the world of natural health. This is along with going to school full time and working part time.  I am sure that this will test my patience and perseverance, but I am confident that I will succeed. 

I have come to realize that, in life, an individual never really stops learning.  At no point in their life do they actually “know it all” about anything.  I suppose this is a good thing for me, because I do not think that I will ever not want to know how something works. I will never pass up an opportunity to study something new and take myself to the next level.  It simply goes against how I am, and I am not passionate about being stagnant and not learning. I challenge you to find your passions. Don't just go into something halfhearted. Give it your all, because one day you will not have any more time to pursue those things which you are passionate about.