Date Your Passion In 2017

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I realized something at 11:59 PM on December 31st, 2016: This was the first New Year’s Eve that I wasn’t hitting midnight with a “New Year, Same Fuckboy” scenario for the first time in almost four years.

I didn’t have a single kiss lined up outside of the vodka soda in my hand or maybe the glass of cheap champagne that I had on reserve in the other, and I was so overwhelmingly fine with that. This was the first New Year’s Eve that I didn’t feel compelled to dress up and baby giraffe myself down the main strip of bars in my hometown or get so blasted drunk that I went down the main strip of an old hometown flame.

I’d spent days leading up to 2017 reading sob stories about people who didn’t have someone to kiss at the ball drop and people who posted their woes about how 2016 did them dirty and all I could think to myself was, “Who cares?” Because – really – who cares? I didn’t. You know why?

This year I’m doing something different. The only thing I’m dating this year is my art.

The only thing I’m going to let have the power to disappoint me is myself. That’s right. 2017 is the year that I accept, that even if I never have a New Year’s kiss again, I’ll have 365 days of creativity in the books that satisfied me better than anyone else could.

Everyone’s passion and art is different. For me, that’s 365 days committed to comedy whether it’s writing or doing a show.  You like cooking? Try 365 new recipes. Blog your successes and your fails. Working out? Even if you only run a goddamn mile a day… that’s 365 more miles than I’m running in my whole lifetime and that’s something to be fucking proud of. Trust. Me.

You’re probably like, “But… Heather… I love dating. What about that?” First off, you’re not a real person. (Side bar: Is anyone a real person? Have you even watched Westworld?)  Secondly, 365 new dates in a row. BAM! Goals. Why stop there? Up the ante? Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. THINK OF ALL THE MONEY YOU’LL SAVE.

Listen. If 2016 taught us anything, it’s that life is short and it’s full of disappointment.

If you were to die tomorrow, would you be proud of what you left behind? Wouldn’t you want to be remembered for kicking ass and leaving behind a legacy even if it’s just for your own pleasure? For those of you who still aren’t convinced, here are my top 3 most personal inspirations:

  1. “I’m doing exactly what I want to do. I haven’t compromised myself. You know that word in the business —selling out? I’m still talking about what I want to talk about, and getting paid for it.” – Joan Rivers
  2. “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball
  3. “I can always be distracted by love, but eventually I get horny for my creativity.” – Gilda Radner

I don’t care if you’re working on your career or just slangin’ hobby fun for the hell of it. Point is, whatever you do in 2017, kill it.