Laura Sagrera

Passion Gives Life Meaning

I grew up in Barcelona, but I have never understood the appeal of staying in the same place, surrounded by the same people, doing the same work forever. I believed the life I truly wanted was “unrealistic.” My first act of rebellion was quitting a job I hated (long before I was “expected” to) and moving to Amsterdam. There I learned what leaving your comfort zone actually felt like. I realized that the life I’d imagined as a child wasn’t a surreal dream but rather a potential option. Now I’m doing an MBA at ESADE and recently launched my own podcast: conversations with people who inspire me around sports, business, and adventure. Real talks, not content for content’s sake.

A few years later, I trusted my gut again: quit everything and traveled full-time for six months. Seven countries, a marathon, Everest Base Camp, and more hours alone with my own thoughts than I’d ever had before. It was the most transformative thing I’ve done. Was I scared? Yes. Was I uncertain? Constantly. But I’d made a promise to myself: I would never stop doing something just because it frightened me. The moments I’ve felt most alive have been traveling. The discomfort of not knowing what comes next, the constant newness, the feeling that you’re finally paying attention. There’s nothing like it.

The moment that changed me most was my first marathon. I was going through a hard time making difficult decisions. Crossing that finish line felt like proof that I could do hard things and I was strong enough. Sports has always been that for me: not the physical side, but the evidence it gives you about yourself. It taught me that if I put my heart and mind into something, I can actually do it. Passion is the engine that drives me, my invisible but essential. I believe life without it is meaningless, and that real results come from obsession, not optimization. What I’ve learned is that it doesn’t have to be something big or impressive. It just has to be real. Whenever I have something I genuinely care about, everything else clicks into place. Without it, nothing does.