Originally published by Bruce Kasanoff on LinkedIn: Can You Combine Two of Your Passions?
After a lifetime of loving both dogs and skiing, this morning I finally managed to combine them. On assignment for Mountain Express magazine, I joined Park City Mountain ski patroller, Lauren Edwards, and her avalanche rescue dog, Tucker.
Both were extremely cool.
Tucker demonstrated his ability to ride a ski lift - he just jumped onto the chair -and sat happily as we rode up to 9,990 feet high. Then he dug up a ski patroller who was hiding in a snow cave built to train dogs like Tucker (pictures below).
Here's my question: why did it take me 40 years to do this?
Here's one more: what opportunities are you missing to combine two of your passions?
In my case, I do a damn good job of feeding my skiing addiction. I also own three, count 'em, three 70-pound dogs. But skiing with a dog, well today's experience rose above just pursuing one of my passions at a time.
For example, Backroads travel adventure company offers a bike tour of California wine country. This would be paradise for anyone who loves both biking and wine.
Perhaps you love both kids and soccer... what if you made time to coach a local school or community team?
You might love both reading historical fiction and travelling... so why not travel the route taken by one or more historical figures?
Don't just settle for doing this on vacation. Double-your-passions might make a spectacular career strategy. A few paragraphs back, I mentioned Backroads, which was founded by Tom Hale because he loved both bicycling and photography; his adventure catalogs have long been populated by his own spectacular images.
Truth be told, I don't have a proven formula for combining two of your passions. The moral of this little story is pretty simple: don't wait 40 years to do your equivalent of my double-your-passions day.
Tucker digs and digs to find Lauren Edwards' fellow ski patroller, who is hiding under all that snow.
Almost there...
Success! Now for a fun game of tug-of-war (that's Tucker's reward). What reward do YOU want?
Thanks to Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, a non-profit organization that bands together rescue dogs and ski patrollers at major Utah ski resorts. If you ski in Utah, they help keep you safe and deserve your support.
Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter and coach for a wide range of interesting and accomplished professionals.