What About Passion?

I've been reminded several times over the last few days of the importance of passion (and I'm not referring to the fruit.)

In a previous post, I touched briefly on passion; my passion for business and entrepreneurship. I'll go a bit more in depth on the subject, because it's vital to being a successful entrepreneur, business owner, or employee.

Passion is defined as "any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate." From another source, passion is a "strong and barely controllable emotion" In so many words, your life's passion is that which you love. Or hate, for that matter. "Hate?" you say? Yes, hate. For example, I have an unbearable disdain for poor customer service; especially endless phone transfers from one department to the next (Ahem, Home Depot, are you paying attention?). My hatred for such lame service may fuel my desire to provide top-of-the-line customer service to all those I come in contact with. Maybe I answer my phone on the second ring every time; perhaps I send a small gift with every product I sell. All of this because poor customer service is the bane of my existence.


So, what about your passion? How do you go about finding it? How do you know for sure? What do you do then? These are questions that need to be answered for each individual. 


The best way to find your passion is summed up in two words: Do something. It doesn't matter what you do; just do something. Take action. Make something happen. When you do, you're bound to find out what you like and what you don't like about the project. The "project" may be something as simple as making dinner for some elders, or painting a room in your house. You may find out that you love cooking, or serving, or painting. 


Pull out a sheet of paper and a cool pen, and answer a few questions about yourself:

• What do I think, talk, or read about often?
• What gets me excited?
• When am I most unafraid of failure?
• What would I do for free?

The answers to these questions should bring you much closer to what you're truly passionate about.

Translating your passion into cash flow is a different story, but certainly achievable in many instances. (It's difficult to do if your passion is studying the migratory habits of the bombardier beetle, but it's not entirely impossible.)

Finding your passion may not come overnight; it may take weeks or months. The important thing is to not give up.


Now do something.