Many years ago I wrote a blog post about the Katy Perry song, Firework. The post was actually about building relationships and I realize now that it reflects a lot of the themes that I talk about in Perfect Pairings: The Art of Connecting People. However, tonight, I heard the song differently. I heard a theme that resembles burnout and the need to find one’s passion. After writing steadily a few years ago, I stopped blogging on a regular basis and forgot how much I used to enjoy it. We talk to clients about “creating content” that demonstrates expertise; content that positions them and “Subject Matter Experts” or SMEs in consultant speak. However, in my opinion, some of my best blog post were never about digital marketing or mobile trends or association ideas. My best posts were the ones that spoke from the heart, the ones that told a story and hopefully included a life lesson. In the interest of practicing what I preach, I stopped writing from the heart to some extent.
In my daily life, I struggle with ADD. Staying focused on the task at hand is a constant struggle and a huge source of frustration in my life. However, when I am working on something that I am passionate about, I can complete a task with near laser focus. The reason for this can be attributed to the fact that I am spending time on things that are ‘must dos’ not ‘want to dos’. On the days that ADD is in control, I want to dig down deep and find that spark that keeps me focused, the spark that gets me excited.
As I write this, I realize the risk I am taking. Could it be construed as disdain of my current projects? No, that’s not it at all. I love my work and the projects that I am so fortunate to be associated with. This is about something more. It’s about the big picture of understanding my inner firework and doing more of what I am passionate about. It’s about remembering that blogging brought me joy and that it doesn’t always have to be a strategic message designed to show expertise. It’s about taking the time to regroup and reinvent and get better at what I do.
I think this happens to everyone from time to time. We get into our daily routines. We have jobs and life. We live the daily grind. And then we wake up and realize we are going 100 miles an hour and are not taking time for reflection. We aren’t taking the time to remember that we are, in fact, a firework.
So tonight, as Firework played on Pandora, I found it a good time to reflect and to write about it. And I ask you to take a moment, and think about what your spark is. What do you need to do to ignite your passion (or remember that it’s there)? How can I help?