Pursuing passion

I was in awe watching the Williams sisters —Venus and Serena outplay, out-wit, and outdo each other on the tennis court last Saturday, clinching what was to be the first tennis grand slam of the year — the Australian Open. It didn’t matter who eventually won the match, what fascinated me was the sheer determination and courage both players displayed on the court for an entire two-and-a-half hours. Being an athlete myself (if I can claim to be one!), I know how much effort it takes to remain focused from the moment one enters the competition arena till the final second of the round. Although it feels like a lifetime when one is in the Equestrian Show Jumping ring, in actuality, horse and rider must be in complete harmony and synergy for a total of only 90 seconds. Yet, every second is intense, where anything can happen at any moment. I can imagine that the same is true on the tennis court or any court and playing field. This is what impressed me with the Williams sisters. They were intense through and through, not just for 90 seconds, but 9,000 seconds! Neither sister allowed a moment to slip by without demonstrating her brilliance. There is one word to describe that — PASSION.

There is something captivating about passion. Not only in the field of sports, but in all aspects of life. Anything of value in this world could not have been accomplished or pursued without passion — a work of art, a production, an invention, a business venture, a winning moment.

When I am asked what keeps me riding after 20 years, I simply say "my passion for horses." There is nothing contrived about it, I just love it. Everyday of every week of every month, year after year, the desire to ride and compete continues to burn. That is why I’ve decided to stop saying or even thinking of the day I will retire from my sport just because I have been doing it too long and it’s time to move on. I have come to realize that it will only be time to move on when I no longer feel the burning desire to go on. Surely it is a blessing to have discovered at an early age what I love to do and am still able to do. This is something many are trying to discover for themselves — what it is they are truly passionate about. Life without passion is no life at all.

There is no formula for discovering one’s passions. I am not sure if they are innate in each individual. Perhaps, passions are partly inherent, partly learned or developed in one’s environment. Surely, I could not possibly have developed a penchant for horses if I was never exposed to them. On the other hand, my love affair with horses blossomed in Wright Park, Baguio City, where my cousins and I would spend endless hours riding the Baguio ponies, every summer when we were children. Yet, only I pursued this hobby that easily turned into a lifetime vocation. My younger brother Lanz, for instance, is passionate about movies. He says he wants to be a movie director someday. At 12 years old, he can scrutinize and analyze the most serious of films, even give a commentary on each actor’s performance and his personal, profound insights. I don’t even remember the last movie I watched on the big screen. But I can still remember the feeling of my first international competition 17 years ago, when I was 12 years old! "To each, his own." It is a gift to find one’s passion and pursue it.

Admittedly, it is not easy to pursue one’s passions in everyday life when one has to earn a living. How could one think of passion when what matters is survival? Then it becomes a matter of attitude. Granted, not everybody can do what he loves and make a living out of it. Lucky are the professional athletes, artists and perhaps other professionals in various fields — they are paid to do what they love to do and are very likely, good at their jobs, as well. So what about the rest who are not as lucky? Are they left to suffer a dull life, robbed of a passionate pursuit?

Perhaps. But it does not have to be the case. Again, it’s a matter of attitude. If you cannot do what you love, love what you do. If you have to work to put food on the table and send kids to school, would it not be easier to pursue this with gusto? It will be easier to get out of bed in the morning and face the madding crowd or monstrous traffic, for that matter, if one’s attitude for one’s craft, whatever it may be, is one of openness and not merely acceptance. Openness to the endless opportunities to create oneself, not simply sitting back and accepting that this is all there is to life — blahness.

We create our own experiences and every situation is an opportunity to re-create ourselves into the person we want to be. Surely, we would all prefer to be passionate, rather than boring. Or not? Venus and/or Serena Williams did not have to fight it out in the finals of the Australian Open. They could have taken it easy and let this title pass. After all, both sisters have collected enough trophies and certainly more than enough cash, to last them a lifetime. Yet, both struggled for every point of every match, with every drop of sweat borne out of the passion to win. Venus and Serena chose to create the persons they want to be in every moment of that match. The same is true for every moment of our lives. We are always choosing to create ourselves. Why not choose to create, if not rediscover our passions in life’s playing fields?