Why do we so often categorize the things that make us feel most alive as “extra”?

My “real life” is better when it's fueled by my “optional” obsessions. Yes, training jiu-jitsu and getting lost in a Murakami novel takes time away from my responsibilities... but it also gives me the energy to actually show up for them.

Passion isn't a distraction from everything else; it's the fuel that gives us the life force and energy for everything else.