Passion and Delight

Why passion and delight?

Those two words carry great meaning for me.  Those concepts are of great significance and importance.

First there was delight.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that delight is my word.  When it finally sunk in was reading Eat, Pray, Love where she talks about different cities having words and then each person having a word, and these words sort of define or sum up the person or city or whatever.  Your word is at your core, in a sense.

Delight is my word, and more than that, it is my purpose.

For my feng shui training long ago, I had to come up with my life's purpose.  In true Emerald style, mine was long and complex.  But it felt like the right thing at the time.

But then later I did some important work with a group of women where we were working on identifying our stories, letting go of what we didn't want, and creating new stories for ourselves.  It was during this work that a new purpose came to me:

I [verb] delight.

The verb can be lots of different things.

I facilitate delight.
I inspire delight.
I share delight.
I spread delight.
I scatter delight.
I cultivate delight.
I find delight.
I give delight.
I embody delight.
I am delight.


Later came the passion epiphany.

I was pondering what is most important to me in the way I live my life, and what I'd want to be known for.

The word passion emerged.

This is the large concept of being passionate.  I strongly value passion for one's work or art or cause or family.  I greatly admire passionate people, those who live passionately.  I have a sense that someone who is living passionately is living a larger life.

For a long time now I feel I've been suppressing a lot of my true passionate nature, because it often makes me feel vulnerable to share it.  I watered it down, calling myself enthusiastic, because that sounds safer and less intense.  But now I understand it's like I've been sanding off the vibrant edge of life.

So now I strive to live both of these words in every moment, or really, to get out of my own way and let them emerge.

I have titled this blog Passion & Delight as a reminder to myself of what matters to me in my heart and soul.

Speak Your Mind

About 12 years ago I came across a bumper sticker that so resonated with me, I actually bought it:

"Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes." -Maggie Kuhn

Except then I felt like if I actually put it on something--like for instance, my bumper--I would draw too much attention to myself, possibly it would lead to some kind of conflict, and it was just generally sticking my neck out more than I was comfortable with.

Irony, anyone?


All the time these days, I think of things that I want to share with people. Information, opinions, my views on life, or sometimes just things I think are cool.

And yet much of the time, I don't share them.  For the same reasons I've yet to put that sticker on my car.  (Also though, because it's been hard to find the time.)

But "speak your mind" is a sentiment I truly believe in.  And I've decided I'm done being scared of unreal things.  I'm done letting my little lizard brain make my decisions for me.

And so I have challenged myself to start this blog and make a post in it at least once a week.

I would like it very much if you choose to read it, because sharing requires more than just me.

Welcome.