I wanted to write this post quite a while ago, but I decided to wait due to the cirumstances regarding this topic. As most of you know, Steve Irwin aka “The Crocodile Hunter” passed away on September 4, 2006. It has been a month since his untimely death and I am still shaken up by it. Let me explain…
Steve Irwin as a man represented so much more than just helping animals, though no doubt that it was he did best. He was more than a conservationist, television personality, or “cool guy”. Steve Irwin was passion personified.
You see, the reason for all the media coverage of his death is simple. He lived a life so full of passion that when he died, a void was left in all of us. He served us all, both man and animal. He was an example of what dedication and passion can accomplish when someone sets out to do something.
I admired Steve Irwin not for his work with animals (though I do admire that tremendously) but more for his work with humanity. When ever I saw him, something lit up inside me, a buring desire to pursue my goals, dreams, and aspirations. His work allowed me to say that it was ok to do what I wanted to do.
Not only did he do his work as a “wildlife warrior”, he was also able to provide a great life for his wife and kids. Too many people think that when you follow passion, you can’t make money. This simply isn’t true. Steve found a way to do both…and extremely well I might add.
I never met Steve Irwin, I only saw him on his various TV shows, but I know without a doubt that if I had been around him in any capacity, within a day I would have been right beside him catching crocodiles. That’s how much passion he had. For those of us who wonder about why he died, I can only say let’s instead focus on how he lived. Let’s make our lives mean something more and carry on his legacy of passion. You don’t necessarily have to work with animals, but there are things you can do to help.
The first thing I recommend is making a donation to his charity. The link can be found here and at the bottom of this post. I’ll also add a link on the donate page.
To close all this up, I want to say one last thing. I didn’t do a good job here, the sorrow I feel is still holding me back in a lot of ways. I wasn’t ready for the loss of Steve Irwin, but such is the nature of life. We are left here now, so let’s use his untimely passing as a seed that will grow and spread his message further than ever.
And also, let his example help you in your own life. Let passion run so deep in your veins that you can’t speak without people getting excited about what you’re doing.
People don’t follow people, people follow passion.
That is a quote I wrote a while back, partly because of Steve Irwin and his example. He will now leave a legacy even bigger than he was when he was alive, which is an amazing feat.
I want to dedicate this post to the late Steve Irwin, his wife Terri, and their two children Bindi and Bob. Steve I want to thank you for serving as an inspiration to all of us and as an example of what one man can accomplish when he has passion on his side. To Terri and the kids, I wish you all the best through what has to be a hard time. I pray for your happiness and continued success in the work that you do.
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