What’s Your Granola?

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but it’s on my mind right now, so here we go again!

Many years ago (9?), I saw a show on the Food Network in which they interviewed this woman who lived on a farm and she developed a recipe for granola (that she made for her husband and kids). Initially, she was just trying to get this granola recipe perfect, making little adjustments with each batch…until it came out just right. It happened to be so good, that she started selling it at Farmer’s Markets. She then expanded, and sold it to a wider audience….etc. At the time of the show, she was loving life, doing what she wanted, and making plenty of money from doing it!

After watching the show, I had a conversation with my Mom and later with my sister (who never actually figured out what she wanted to do with her life), about the concept of Finding Your Granola.

I’m sure you’ve met people who know exactly what they want in life—they have passion about a certain topic, and they follow this bliss, making it into a career and feeling great about all of it. You know, that person who works but loves what they do so much they don’t feel like they’re working.

My sister and I always contemplated this (when she graduated from high school, she lamented about how there was nothing she wanted to do). When I lived in Boston, I saw this granola episode, and ever since then my mom and I have used the term for identifying or talking about what the heck that thing would be for us—that thing that would be work and career and a living, but doesn’t feel like work.  Maybe I’m deluding myself, and maybe there isn’t anything—but I don’t think I’ll give up the idea, because what if there is!?

It brings me to now, a time when I’m really enjoying all the things I’m dabbling in at the moment—wellness coaching, teaching online, blogging…learning about and practicing making healthy food. But it brings up the issue of how Americans are really great Masters at Dabbling in things. We don’t master anything (our passions) because we spend so much time analyzing and figuring out what we like that we just dabble in things, and never focus enough on one thing to make it a BIG thing.

My mom keeps telling me that she and Fred think that maybe My Granola is actually granola.

Have you tried making this yet?

If, instead of considering bills and responsibilities, you had to pick one thing to focus on in your life that would give you a sense of great fulfillment and even that not-really-working feeling, what would it be?

This topic reminds me of a person I know who absolutely LOVES primates—orangutans, specifically. She doesn’t work in a field that has anything to do with them, but she lights up whenever she talks about them. Recently, she started volunteering at the zoo and being a docent for the primates.

All she can say now is….(a) this is fun and (b) what if?!!?!?!?!?  What if she could turn it into a career?  Who knows how, because it sure doesn’t look like a career right now, but if she stays open to the idea and keeps focusing on this passion…..you never know what will happen!