What If You Knew It Will Add 10 Years To Your Life

I was in the studio with Jeff yesterday. We were recording the new and eighth CD in the Emerald Keys series. It’s the best CD so far. The Key we focus on is Stepping Into The Unknown. It’s about taking risks and how critical it is to step into unknown situations if you are to unleash your fullest potential. On this CD I tell stories I never told before about my experience flying jets and about what happens to each of us when we step into new and unknown situations.

Jeff is an amazing man. He is an electrical engineer for Boeing and works on the 787 program. He has his recording studio next to his house. I love working with Jeff. He has a relaxing and steady presence and he always has good humor. He is helpful and willing and he has got a good ear. Recording the Emerald Keys with Jeff’s help has been a great ride.

When we walked into the studio this Sunday his guitars and a list of songs he was working on were out. “I got to play some this morning” he said “after I haven’t touched the guitar in weeks.” Now I know playing the guitar is Jeff’s passion but I was very surprised to hear myself saying: “What if you knew that it could add 10 years to your life? What if you knew that following your passion and playing the guitar daily for say 30 minutes, or playing it two hours a week for would give you 10 extra years of life?”

Now, I cannot prove it to you in scientific terms. That is, I have not done a scientific research, complete with a control group, etc. to demonstrate that people who ignore or hold back on their passionate pursuit in music, art, sport, science ,hiking or another hobby cut 10 years of their life. Even though I cannot claim this scientifically I have a strong intuition that this is the case. Acting on your passion may amount to an extra 10 years of life because it feeds and inspires your spirit which innervates your life.

Here then is a question for you: what passion are you holding back on? What’s holding you back? What if you knew that not acting upon your passion amounts to slow poison pills that will shorten your life? What if you knew that acting on it would add 10 years to your life?

© Aviv Shahar