What’s the difference between a hobby and something you are passionate about? Is one a synonym for another? If they are different, how might you determine which is which? As I contemplated these questions, I found myself searching online for guidance. That was until I stumbled upon the following definition that spoke to me. “Passion is a burning inside of ourselves that must be satiated. It is something that you are pulled in by and something that is 
extremely hard to dismiss.”
Wow. Doesn’t that definition say it all? And thus, as you ponder about what may be burning inside of you that you may wish to post this week, I will share a bit about two individuals who consistently put their passion front and center. 
The first was Cornelia Pinchot. Early in her life, Pinchot, chose to focus on advocating for better conditions for working women. After the disastrous 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in NYC, in which 123 women of all ages lost their lives, Pinchot served as the fire inspector for the Committee of Safety to pass better safety laws for women employed in buildings. She then became ensconced in women’s suffrage, spoke out in support of birth control and encouraged women to take an active role in a career and politics. Pinchot served on the local 
school board and when her husband, Gifford Pinchot, decided to run for the Pennsylvania governorship, she campaigned tirelessly for his election, encouraging women, with their newfound right to vote, to vote for him. “It was due to Mrs. Pinchot and the women she organized, far more than to any other single factor, that we won,” said Gifford Pinchot after he clinched the office. Throughout the rest of her life, Cornelia Pinchot remained politically active promoting labor law reforms and advocating for the establishment of trade unions. She once was quoted as saying, “My feminism tells me that a woman can scrub a floor, cook a dinner, paint a picture, charm her husband, swim the channel, bear a child and battle for the Lord all on the same day so to speak.”
The second was the renowned musician and singer, Glen Campbell who passed away last week. In 2011, Campbell, announced that he had Alzheimer’s disease. Rather than disappear from public view, Campbell did the opposite. Determined to tell his story and show the world the highs and lows that come with Alzheimer’s disease, he opted for doing a farewell tour – his long goodbye-to his fans across the country. Over a two and a half year period of time, he performed 151 shows with the help of a teleprompter for the lyrics and his grown children, serving as the backup band. Campbell’s unrelenting passion for playing music and entertaining during this most vulnerable of times provided him with the drive to see it through.
What might be pulling you in this summer? Do you have a newfound passion or something that continues to propel you time and time again? We look forward to learning more.
See you on the PATH Ahead,
The VEHI PATH team