Passion
“We provide best when we enjoy” - Christian N. Stadil
About two years ago I moved approximately 200 kilometers away from where I grew up from my parents, my social network and the safe being. I didn’t know it by then, but it’s obvious for me that I was driven by my passion.
Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard talks about two types of activities. You do essential- and accidental activities. The essential is the most important and the accidental is more random and we haven’t got our minds in to them. There is no passion and it’s emotional less important but can be necessary like washing and putting your close together. In an essential activity the process in itself is enough. It’s possible to forget all of the unresolved thoughts, space and time get mixed and your just present in the activity.
I moved 200 kilometers to learn from one of the best tennis coaches in the country. It was my year off after graduating from High School. It would have been “easier” to work in the local merchant and thereby stay in the safe environment, but it wouldn’t have been essential to me. Tennis is essential to me and I enjoy using all of my time on and off court with my students.
Even though tennis meant and still means the world to me and is an essential activity, it was natural to start at the University and get an education after a year as a full time tennis coach. When I grew up I learned that money can’t buy you happiness and the values I got from my family made me realize that the most important thing in my adult life would be that I was happy doing what ever I was doing. My parents have always had high expectations regarding my education and so have I, and for me it became important to find what in danish is called: “the golden middle way”. Some might confuse it with mediocrity but I don’t see it that way. I started studying Sports and Health at the University of Southern Denmark and thereby I both get an education and upgrade my chances to end up as an older and wiser tennis coach.
Henry Miller defines passion by: ”develop interest in life, as you see it; in people, things, literature, the music, world is so rich, the pulsing with precious treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people”.
Tennis is for sure my passion but sometimes I wonder if it even becomes an obsession from time to time. Everything is put a side to get the possible conditions for my students. Every obstacle no matter how big or how many gets swiped away like they didn’t even exist. Some might say that happiness isn’t about having a life without problems, but how you tackle the problems you have got. I mostly agree but I sometimes stop and wonder if it’s all worth it.
Buddha says: “The string that’s neither too strict or too lax may create a beautiful ambience.”
Sometimes my string get’s to strict and I forget my friends, family and world outside of tennis. That scares me when I notice, but I’m getting better and I’m going to keep being enthusiastic about tennis and use all of the joy I get and carry it with me in my everyday life.
/Adam