Tales from a Bruised Mind

What is passion?

Passion to me is a core part of our existence in this world. It’s important because it:

1. Gets us out of bed in the morning
2. It gives us purpose
3. It gives us drive
4. Passion actually gives us enthusiasm and, well, passion
5. It gives us a sense of identity, a way for us to be picked apart from our peers

So, it’s pretty important, right?

Passion, for me, hasn’t just been about my career or my work ethic. It’s also been about giving me purpose when my mental world starts to crash down around me.

I hope the below story can inspire you to find your own passion, whether it be playing football, or rock climbing, or cooking. Your passion can be anything and everything.

A brief history of Zak’s passion!

Before I even thought about the car industry, I was a passionate writer. At school, I remember loving writing more than anything else. Forget maths or science, my brain was wired from a young age for the art that is writing.

It’s funny because when I first learnt to type on the school computers, I was terribly, terribly slow and inefficient. I only typed with two fingers – my pointers – back then. Thankfully, I got faster and faster and it became much easier. But my love of putting pen to paper or writing essays on my computer was where my passion really started.

I also had a huge interest in modern history and learning about the world, including topics such as World War I and II, globalisation, the beginnings of pop culture and more. I loved immersing myself in real stories about our world societies.

I remember quite clearly being pretty obsessed with the Apollo missions and the successful moon landings. I just could not fathom that human beings had travelled so far from Earth. It simply blew my mind. Space is so interesting, but also equally terrifying. So much darkness out there…

While a lot of my peers were reading fiction teenage books, I had encyclopedias and coffee table books on tanks, planes, tractors and more. It was around this point that I fell in love with cars, the second great passion in my life.

Those who know me personally would probably think that my first passion is automotive, but it just didn’t start that way.

But when the motoring world did come into my life, largely thanks to my Dad, family friends and a lot of TopGear and Mythbusters, writing was still the number one interest for me.

As this blog is specifically about my mind and my mental experiences, how do these passions of mine help my mental state?

Well, here’s a few points on the impact these passions have had on me and still do to this day.

Writing

• Writing is an escape, a way for me to express myself without judgement
• Writing, for me, is emotive and fun to do
• Writing can help pass the time
• Writing is therapeutic
• Writing is a great way for me to connect and communicate

Automotive

• Driving is fun, involving and a good escape from life’s stresses
• There is always something to learn with cars and the greater industry
• We are in a fascinating time for the automotive landscape, especially with electric vehicles
• Cars are special because they can make you feel so many emotions when you drive them
• I am able to combine my loves of cars and writing as a motoring journalist

But what’s your passion?

What makes you get up every morning?

And is your work your passion?

Love,

Zak