Coat 

Leggings 

Boots 

Backpack & Beanies 

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 Tumi Voyageur Halle Backpack | DYI Butterfly Effect Leggings | Filson Knit Beanie | UGG Boots | Faux Fur Puffer Coat (Similar here & here)

 

It is that weird time right around the holiday and right before the new year. It is the time that you look back on the past year and all that has happened and wonder what the new year has in store for you. I have been going through an exercise of reflecting on my 2016. I traveled, I blogged, I took a number of photographs, I enjoyed time with my boyfriend and family, and I experienced personal and professional growth like I never thought I would. I did so much that it sometimes felt like I never stopped.

During this time of quiet reflection, I kept coming to one question.

What is it that was inspiring and driving me this whole time?

I know it sounds like an obvious question that all of us should know but sometimes we get so caught up in the busy demands of life that we never stop to think about what actually is driving us. It is important though. A drive for money can lead you down a path of greed. A drive for fame can cause you to lose yourself in the approval of others. The “why” of what you do is something that we shouldn’t just reflect on at the end of every year but almost every day.

I saw someone recently re-post content by Kronos called the 1 In One Hundred Million campaign.

1 In 100 Million is a platform to tell the story of people pursuing a role or passion of their own. It is a site devoted to sharing the personal stories of the people who do the many important and too-often unrecognized jobs we all rely on. I found myself getting caught up in the many episodes and stories they share. I think I was encapsulated by it simply because I know that all of them either in the video or off asked the same questions at some point earlier in their career.

What makes me get out of bed in the morning?

What is the meaning behind the work of my hands?

I was particularly drawn to the final episode with Paul Francis from Zildjian Cymbals (only because I was in the band in 6th grade and recognized the name). Here is a man who lives, eats, and breathes cymbals in the same way that I do photography or fashion. Paul is constantly being asked by his wife to stop talking about them in the same way that Jordan is asking me to stop talking about fashion. He has been working for the company for 28 years and has worked for these amazing musical acts like Journey, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Steely Dan and a bunch of other musicians that my parents grew up listening to.

I was fascinated because while we have two COMPLETELY different interests, he just like many others in the 1 in One Hundred Million campaign are the same as me. We all wake up every day, we go to work, we persevere, we try, we fail, we succeed, and we ultimately try and make a dent in the world through the work of our hands. Whether it be cymbals, nursing, firefighting, or in my case blogging we all have a passion for something unique that makes us special. The common thread through all of our stories is this concept of passion.

As I reflect on some basic questions before starting a new year I may not have everything figured out by January 1. But the interesting thing that I learned from stories like Paul and others in the 1 in One Hundred Million campaign is that you can make up for a lack of answers by simply following your passion. In lieu of a formula for success, you can follow your passion which gives birth to drive and within that pursuit is joy. When I tell people what I do at a party, it often times does not make sense to them. It is followed by a string of questions like how do you make money, is that a real thing, etc. More often than I can count on both hands have I been tempted to surrender to the world and get a “real job”. The funny thing about these many stories is that there is no such thing. The best job you can have is at the intersection of skill and passion.

What makes me get out of bed in the morning?

I guess you could say it’s an excitement for my ensemble I get to assemble that day with, a dose of coffee, and all of you.

 

You can read more about this sponsored post by clicking on hyperlinks above and by searching #WorkforceStories or #1in100MM.