"When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible."

- Nancy CoeyHave you ever stopped and asked yourself, "What am I most passionate about in both my professional and personal life? What are the things that spark my passion? Do I even have passion? Does passion drive me, define me, bring be happiness and financial freedom?"Passion has a purpose and drives people to ultimately experience happiness and success in life. It is a fire inside of you that when ignited, will burn bright and take you to new heights.When you really think about it, we are on this earth for a short time, so why not feel passionate about everything you do? I challenge you to take some time to explore some avenues that will help you leverage passion to fuel strong relationships, work-life balance and happiness.Vince Papale, Philadelphia Eagles football player and author of "Be Invincible!" says it best "Passion is such a vital part of a fulfilling and happy life, and I think it's also the first thing to go when times get tough. He says, "That's unfortunate, because passion is what keeps you going when change comes fast and furious and you're hanging on for dear life."You see, Vince was up against all odds, a 30-year-old teacher and bartender who, because of passion, made the Eagles football team as a rookie and eventually made special teams captain. Vince was fueled by his passion to play football for the Eagles and combined with hard work, a positive attitude and competitive spirit, the impossible, becomes possible!Purpose, freedom, change, approval and new experiences are just a few areas where people feel the passion that motivates them to experience their purpose in life. Helping and serving others is a driving force as well.For example, doctors, teachers, lawyers, social workers and community leaders may have challenging careers at times, but their passion to help others is a driving force.We've all witnessed people who have passion for the outdoors, animals, human rights, the environment, their community, government, arts, culture, music, diversity and education. The fire inside of people will lead them to raise money and rally others to get on board a specific cause.Lastly, be sure to recognize and avoid the "passion killers" that you may be faced with on a day-to-day basis.If you feel deflated, zombie-like and sad, you've had a run-in with a passion killer. On the other hand, do you take the time to say thank you, show appreciation for others, and recognize what motivates the people who surround you?If not, you are possibly the passion killer. One of the most crucial investments in business is human capital. With passion or lack of, comes emotion and with emotion, comes productivity or lack of.Passion with a vision, in addition to getting others on board with a shared vision, will help pave the way to success.I'll wrap it up with another great quote from Jon Bon Jovi: "Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate."I feel blessed to work with passionate and amazing people who make Carbon County a great place to live, work and play.Find your passion, have fun and make every day count!