Life - Passion, Profit and Perseverance

A great old friend and family member passed way a few weeks ago. It gave me pause to reflect on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. “BA” was a humble man, a career Navy Veteran and a restaurateur. He had deep spiritual beliefs that belonged to no religion. He taught me much about human existence. And even from his hospital bed, he calmly prepared us for his imminent passing. What grace, what beauty, what generosity.

“BA” came into our lives 17 years ago or so, and watched over us. He took delight in everything about our family, particularly our dogs, who he often stayed with while we were away. He watched me spin my wheels trying to figure out who the heck I was, from battling alcoholism, to becoming a successful songwriter, comedy writer, and wannabe entrepreneur. He was much more than just a little bit special.

He helped me to realize that you gotta indulge your passions with the little time you have left. And, it’s always “a little.” I figure you can either give it up and ride out the rest of your life, which, by the way, is fine if it makes you happy, or you can proceed full-tilt in pursuing your dreams until you’ve accomplished them or literally died trying. That’s me in a nutshell.

I gave up on life when I was much younger. Not because of any traumatic experience, but because I was just happy to be drunk and stoned all the time. “What the hell?” I thought. Well, now I feel like I’m making up for lost time. The shorter my life becomes, the more I crave living in the pursuit of every passion that stirs inside of me.

Yes, this does most certainly include making a very comfortable living in spite of the doom and gloom of our Great Recession. With the long odds of financial success becoming even longer, the greater the challenge, the more I want it! To say I’m driven, is quite an underestimation.

It’s not all about the money. Or, maybe it is. Is that how you define success? It’s just one variety, I suppose. But, my passion for finding monetary success through my creative channels (which I must nourish to flourish) is never-ending. I have many endeavors, at least one of which I feel will come to fruition if I just press on a little harder each day. That can be daunting and all-consuming, to be sure. But, it is who I am. And, it IS what makes me happy. It could even be one of those situations where once you attain it, you’ll wish you hadn’t. Maybe it is all about the journey, not the destination, after all. I sincerely have no clue.

So, I shall continue to indulge my passions like there’s no tomorrow. Not only might there not be one, but if you don’t use your passions, you’ll likely lose them. I do not want to look back at my life and think, “If only…”

Grant Brad Gerver is an entrepreneur and creative consultant for Filibi, a classified and online coupon advertising site and home business. He’s also a YouTube Channel blues singer-songwriter and guitar player with The Buzzard Brothers. Additionally, Grant writes political humor, thousands of bumper stickers, and humorous movie reviews. He has also worked with various companies as a product-naming specialist. He’s a retired elementary school teacher and published children’s author who works in the health care field.