Why I'm Praying for An Early Winter

If you are old enough to hang out on LinkedIn, the odds are that somewhere in your mind you are starting to think about ways to stay young and in shape. For me, this starts with praying for an early winter.

In my household, winter started yesterday, when Stratton Mountain in Vermont fired up their snowmaking guns for the first time this season. They will now do everything possible to coat the mountain with snow by November 26, the official opening day.

Ah, but I am an optimist, and am hoping that the next couple of weeks will be colder than normal. If so, I suspect the mountain might even open before Thanksgiving, giving fanatics like me the opportunity to set a new record for early season skiing.

My life revolves around snow. More specifically, it revolves around skiing, which lets me explore the woods in the middle of major snowstorms, giggle with delight like a little kid, and connect with joyful people of all ages.

On winter weekends and holidays, I coach 6 to 8-year olds in Stratton's seasonal ski program. Yes, I voluntarily take other people's kids skiing. Last year some of my kids included:

• a boy who ate so many Doritos that his hands, lips and tongue seem perpetually orange
• a soft-spoken kid who lets his skiing speak for him, and who can put to shame 95% of the adults I know
• a girl who takes great delight in skiing with (fake) lizards on her head

Skiing has taught me how to turn adversity into joy. Some days the winds are so fierce and the temperatures so cold that it literally hurts to be outside, but we still figure out ways to have fun. Two examples:

• If you ski with kids and take one break in between every run, they think it is the greatest day EVER, because they get to eat candy seven times in one morning
• If you ski in the woods, you can still sweat on even the coldest days, because the trees block the winds and it takes a lot more effort to navigate the bumps, trees and random objects (boulders, fire towers, snowmaking pipes)

As soon as I finish this piece, I'm going to lift weights. Later today, I'll jump on my bike. In both cases, skiing is what motivates me. If we are blessed with a huge natural snowfall, I don't ever want to have to quit early because my legs are tired.

Skiing pushes me to stay in shape and watch what I eat. It's what many days causes me to identify more with kids than with people my own age.

You may hate the idea of winter, or of going outside in the winter. No matter, as long as you have your own version of skiing.

For all the billions of dollars that people spend each year trying to be happy and healthy, it seems to me that the fountain of youth comes down to one word:

PASSION

If you are passionate about something, you will be happy and - to the greatest extent possible - healthy.

I'm drawn to people who love something - anything - as much as I love skiing. It doesn't matter whether that is music, gymnastics, acting, or science. It's not the focus that matters, it's the passion.

What's your passion? I genuinely want to know.

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs and executives. Learn more at Kasanoff.com. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.