Friends and family sometimes tell me I work too much.

It’s true I spend a lot of time at what conventionally would be called work: seeing clients in my private practice, teaching and seeing clients in alcohol and drug rehab, writing regular columns for two newspapers and a magazine, and writing for my very active website, Practical Psychology for Capable People. None of this feels like work, but it does demand a lot of time just like "real work" does.

I tell others all the time that they need downtime to relax, recuperate, recharge and expand their perspective. I tell them to pursue something they are passionate about, just so long as it has nothing to do with work and lifts their spirits and leaves them feeling positive.

After all, taking downtime and using it well is a piece of positive psychology.

But does Dr. Neill practice what he preaches? You be the judge.

One of the ways I get that positive charge when I want to be completely off the work radar is going for a ride on my motorcycle. And the longer the ride, the better!

I got back on two wheels last year after a fairly long drought during which we moved across the country and I started a new career.

I have had lots of different motorcycles. I bought a 250cc BSA when I was 14 for $35. I bought a beautiful silver-grey BMW R1200RT touring motorcycle two months ago at a somewhat riper age and for considerably more. The whole list is below just in case you are a motorcycle buff.

1947 250cc BSA
1948 500cc Triumph
1950s 175cc Vespa
1960s 700cc Royal Enfield
1976 900cc BMW R90/6
1970s 125cc CZ
1983 175cc Yamaha
1980 650cc Yamaha Seca
1985 1000cc BMW R100
2006 650cc BMW F650GS
2006 1200cc BMW R1200RT

I have had a life-long passion for riding motorcycles. My first really long trip was on my 1976 900cc BMW R90/6. Starting in central Canada I rode to the Atlantic and then to Key West Florida, New Orleans and San Antonio Texas. Before returning home I had ridden through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica-a 14,000-mile solo ride. It was a transformative experience.

The thing about something that you’re passionate about is that it never goes away. It seems to get into your blood. Just when you think it’s gone, it resurfaces. That’s what motorcycling has been for me.

One of the great things about a passionate interest is that when you indulge it, you feel more at peace with the universe and more alive. You spend most of your time in the present, without past trials or worries about the future. Your happiness coefficient is definitely up. You see the world through rose-colored glasses. You feel grounded and centered.

I would love to hear what your passion is when your mind and body are away from work? Please use the comments box below to tell the rest of us about your passion and how it affects you.

Dr. Neill Neill, Registered Psychologist and Diplomate, Comprehensive Energy Psychology, maintains an active psychology and life-coaching practice on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. He is a member of the treatment team at Sunshine Coast Health Centre, an alcohol and drug treatment center for men. His goal is to help you to help yourself to a better life. http://www.neillneill.com