So far in the passion series we’ve talked about how even though passion is necessary, it is only one piece of the puzzle. We’ve discussed how a lack of passion can have disastrous results. We’ve looked at some of the greats, and we’ve seen how passion and hard work both are key ingredients to success. Now let’s look at how passion will help you wind up on the right path.
Three Paths Through Life
There are three paths through life that lead you in very different directions. Choose the wrong one and you could be heading down a road of regret and financial trouble. Passion is a key ingredient to finding the right path.
Before we look at those three paths, it’s very important to understand that there is another very strong reason that passion is so important. It really centers around how you spend your time. The fact is, what you do to make your impact in the world (working a job, caring for loved ones, etc.) is where you will spend most of your waking hours. Finding something that you enjoy only makes spending that time a more enjoyable experience.
But enjoying it not only makes it better, it makes it tolerable. You can spend 40 hours a week doing something you hate, but not for long. You can spend 40 hours a week doing something you tolerate for longer, but not for a lifetime. Passion makes work exciting and that not only makes it something you can stick with, it makes it something you can excel at.
Positivity Is Not Enough
As I said before, Mike Rowe made a claim that you simply need to bring passion with you. You don’t need to find a job you’re passionate about; you simply need to find a job and become passionate about it.
Sure, that might work if you are passionate about learning and new experiences or if you are passionate about art and find yourself in a creative job, but it may not be the same if you are passionate about working with your hands and building engines and you have to crunch numbers all day. That is a job that will only make you long to get out of there so you can work on your hobbies. Of the three paths in life, that is the wrong one.
Choosing the Right Path
There are basically three paths through life for working people. They are all different, but they are all based around making a living. After all, we all need money to survive. Finding out how to get that money makes all the difference.
The first path is to hold a J. O. B. It’s simply holding a job in which lies no passion. You do it to pay the bills. It doesn’t matter how much you strive at it, if it sucks the energy out of you, sooner or later, you will simply lose the desire to do it. You will be locked in a job that you can’t find the motivation to continue on with, and your financial position will stagnate. This is the worst of all paths.
The second path is to do what you are passionate about. If you love to make videos and you do that for a living, you will work extra, explore new techniques, follow the masters, and constantly improve. You put so much focused effort into videos, you will begin to amaze people and your passion and energy will be infectious. This is a strong way to continue to improve your financial position, as your earning power increases with your skill.
The final path is to invest your money. Whether or not you start at the first or second path, living on less than you make and putting that money into assets is wise. Get your money working for you. Continue to invest that money into places where your money earns more money. Eventually it won’t matter what you do; you will be earning enough from your investments to pay your bills.
It’s worth noting that the best way to maximize the money to invest is to do what you’re passionate about, as that has the potential to bring in the most income.
Secure and Free
The people that do what they are passionate about and funnel that money into a financially-free future are the ones that really excel in life. They can do what they want, help who they want, and make a positive impact in the world. They are in charge of their future.
These are the people who say they never worked a day in their life. Why? Because they have simply done what they’ve enjoyed. They have worked their lives around their passion. And it has made them successful and wealthy.
Passion is necessary. It’s valuable. And it’s a key to financial freedom. Passion makes work fun. And it’s the fuel to a beautiful, free, and brighter future.
