Got Passion?

I don't know if it's the holiday spirit in the air, the fact that I'm drunk at work at this very minute (just kidding) or if it's the peaceful, relaxing feeling I have about an upcoming weekend with finally and thankfully very little on the social agenda, but things are getting back to big happy.

The depression that consumed me a month ago has given way to a much more enthusiastic outlook for 2007. I've got some good plans for some creative projects next year, and I've joined a gym and a running group, so I'll go ahead and go on record for friends and strangers alike and say that I plan to run at least the half-marathon in Louisville in April, perhaps the full one.

Happiness and positivity are back, and so is passion. I've seen too many friends over the years live without these things, and I've always been curious about that. Even a girlfriend or two along the way seemed to get excited about very little. I've never understood how people can go through life without feeling strongly about things and/or other people. So I'm here today to urge you to shake up your normal routine and do something you don't typically do. Got fear? Get over it by doing exactly what it is you're scared to do.

Kiss somebody for the first time, and maybe do it on a busy sidewalk in the middle of a weekday afternoon with plenty of people around. Just like the movies.

Say hi to a stranger. And then say hi to the next stranger you see. And the next one. And do this all with a smile on your face.

Don't wait until mom and day say "I love you" to say it back to them. Call today and say it first.

Buy a gift this holiday season for someone who's not expecting anything from you. Nothing fancy, just something to let him or her know you care. Even if you're not entirely altruistic about it; heck, the return might be more than worth it next year.

Better yet, don't buy that gift; make it. Take a picture and frame it. Write a poem. It doesn't have to rhyme. Burn a CD of songs or pictures. Simple gestures are anything but simple to an unsuspecting recipient.

Will any of these displays make you sick or injured or broke? Will others like or respect you less for them? Is displaying affection really that difficult? Will a show of kindness make your life worse?

Making new friends is fun, and not as hard to do here in New York as I thought it was going to be. But maintaining the friendships that have always been there is just as good, even if a little work is required.