In the Nostalgia Critic’s tribute video to Roger Ebert, the Nostalgia Critic unpacks a lot of wisdom and lays it out for the viewer. What he sees in Roger Ebert is amazing, and what the Nostalgia Critic sees should be what we all strive to be.

The Nostalgia Critic’s greatest point about Roger Ebert, and by extension Gene Siskel, is that Ebert had a passion for movies. From the classics to animated films to the dreck released by Hollywood, like “Leonard 6,” Ebert was passionate about movies. When they were bad, he got angry about it. When they were good, he experienced great joy. These feelings and his expression of them were all a part of his love for film as an art and cultural signpost. The passion for film was a large part of what made him and Siskel so successful at a job that many would say is inconsequential. After all, “it’s just a movie,” but to them both it never was.

Passion is what makes us successful at life. Unfortunately, everyday life and its responsibilities can sap your passion. It can take what you love and tie it to money until your passion is squeezed out and turns to drudgery. Everyday life carries debts, worries and obligations that stymie and steal energy from your passion. It can even make your passion seem inconsequential, like the movies.

If you find your life is devoid of passion, seek out what brings you joy again and grab at it. Hold onto it and rekindle your passion because that’s what the human experience is about. When you are doing what you’re passionate about, you become a more creative and happier you.

For more on creativity, get “Disneyland Is Creativity.” Order “Penguinate! Essays and Short Stories.” Preorder “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity.”