Find Your Passion and Your Purpose is Soon To Follow
Let me ask you a personal question. Are you really passionate about what you do? Before you answer that, consider what author/entrepreneur James Altucher says: “I feel people can be paid in three ways: in money, in mastery, or in meaning, and ideally you want to be paid in all three.”
Think about that for a second. I routinely meet with industry experts and many of them seem to be a bit discontent with what they do. They say things like “I would love to start my own company, if I could only make the amount of money that I’m making now.”
Well, unless you’re an entry level manager, you will definitely take a massive pay cut. After all, when I started my first company back in 2008, I did so primarily so I could make more money. I think this is the primary motivator for many startup companies: to “be your own boss”, work your own schedule and not have a cap on your earnings potential.
After years of experience and dabbling in all sorts of different ventures, I realize that there’s a whole lot more to the story than simply making more money. On the surface, that seems to be the most important driver. As you get started and the paychecks get larger, you are drawn deeper and deeper into your craft. That magnetic draw is called passion.
Where Magic Happens
The operators of the past were masters of pay plans. Think about it, where else could a 17 year old kid with no formal education go and make $10,000 a month right away? Not many options. Better yet, think about you. What could you do right now to make the same or more money that you are making today? It’s a tough question to answer and the reality is there’s no safe bet. Life has risks and although safety seems safe, it’s not a place where magic happens.
Where Passion Begins
Sure, money is definitely a motivator, but I am convinced that there are much more meaningful variables to the equation. This is where passion comes into play.
I know a lot of people who are making a killing running stores, ad agencies or staffed event companies, and they do an incredible job. But what is missing and what I think is a great source of their discontent is PASSION.
If you’re truly passionate about what you are doing then you don’t need to seek safety first. Decisions become less about the immediate monetary gain, the inherent risk in trying something new or the fear of failure, and they become more about bringing value, helping others and pursuing your passion, despite what the critics will say.
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