Thankful for Passion by Tracy Ruckman

Julie’s Note:
It’s my pleasure to introduce Tracy Ruckman, Write Integrity Press and Pix N Pens publisher. I’m thankful Tracy took a leap of faith with me and my writing this year.

Passion

“a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement

for something or about doing something.”

(Merriam-Webster)

This year, I’m thankful for passion – that I’m a passionate person thankful to be doing what I’m passionate about, surrounded by people who are passionate about what they do.

I recently had a conversation with someone and asked if she were passionate about her chosen line of work. She replied that she had no time to be passionate about anything because she was raising kids. I understand – child-rearing demands our all 24/7. But her comment saddened me because I’ve been in jobs where I had no passion for them, and it affected the other areas of my life. Perhaps if she were passionate about her line of work, the passion would flood her home life, her marriage, her entire outlook in such a way that she would be refueled, recharged daily, rather than drained.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul discusses living a Christian life, how we are to live our lives when Jesus is our Lord and Savior. He writes, “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men” (v. 23). I’m guilty of not always living out this verse – I think back to two particular jobs I held where I did not give my all and wonder if I had, would I have enjoyed them more? Was I doing the work for man, and not for the Lord? In both of the jobs, that was the case – I lost my focus in my determination to provide for my family, and it stripped my passion.

This year, I’m thankful to be passionate about all I’m doing. As a publisher, I love our authors, I love our books, I love our teamwork, I love our mission, I love the growth we are experiencing, I love the creativity I get to use and that I get to witness on a daily basis. I’m passionate about helping our authors grow and stretch themselves, and passionate about the world discovering their incredible talent.

As a student seeking my MFA, I love writing creatively again (as opposed to the four years of academic writing I did while earning my bachelor’s degree), I love learning how to craft screenplays, I love learning how my classmates craft their own. I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn and to grow, and for the possibilities all of this provides for my family’s future.

What are you passionate about? Are you doing it? If not, are there steps you can take to get there?

Tracy Ruckman is wife to Prince Charming, mom to two grown sons, servant to a spoiled rotten doggy, full-time student, and a traditional book publisher (www.WriteIntegrity.com and www.PixNPens.com). In her spare time, she likes to squeeze in sleep, showers, cooking, and even occasional jaunts out into the public (usually the grocery store, farmers market, or writer’s conference) as time allows. She’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter.

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