The Passion list

  I am reading a book called 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin. I am really enjoying reading this book and I recommend it to everyone as a good idea for something to read as we are coming into a new year, and we are all probably thinking more about our lives and our levels of happiness... Aren't we? :)

  One thing she suggested in the book was to write a list of the things that you are interested in or that you would like to know more about. This year in the summer, I was going through a hard time, my close friends suggested that I got active with something new. The thing was I was feeling so down that I couldn't think of anything at all that I was interested in, every idea I had, I thought that it didn't catch my attention so much. I took some council from her book to mind and sat down to think about what I was really interested in. Instead of calling it my interest list.. I called it my passion list... because I can.

  Something in the past that stopped me from exploring my areas of interest was the feeling that I wasn't very talented in some of the things I wanted to do. For instance, I am fascinated by making bikes and bicycle design, but I have a horrible memory when it comes to putting the pieces of a bicycle together. I always have to ask for help, and this makes me feel dumb. One of my friends told me that I always try to do something that I am bad at and don't focus on the things I am really good at, he considered this a waste of time. For a year or two I shied away from the bike side of the business.. and left it up to the professionals. However I took upon myself the challenge this year to learn to make my own bike, although I still needed help, I learnt a lot of things, I designed and made my pink fixie bike. Since then I started working on another one, and have in my brain at least two more design ideas, it might be a few more bikes away till I can do it completely on my own, but I certainly made progress.

  So I learned that no one should discourage you from trying for something you want to do, regardless of your skills. I mean, how can you learn anything till you try. Yes my hand painted gold bike has some paint streaks and isn't perfect, but the personal satisfaction I have gained from painting it and the experience was really confidence building and made me feel good.

My Passion list is

Making and designing bikes

Writing my blog

Stand-up comedy (this is not funny)

Vegetarianism

Design

Tattoo's

Coffee art

Creating new drinks and exciting products for CE

Dance (Lindy-hop and jive)

Flash mobs

Playing guitar and writing songs

Playing Ukulele

Languages (German and Serbian for now)

Relations with people, customer service

Business

Hosting people in my home from all over the world

Travel

Asia and Asian culture

Long-distance biking and randoneering (cycling long distance over a short period of time)

Human rights

I know these are all broad topics, and not precise goals or anything like that, but I wanted to share them with you, and encourage you to make your own passion list. I look over my list when I am bored and want something to do, I see the things I am passionate about and try to work on improving in or exploring one of these areas.  

Making a new bike