Passion or Gifts
You’ve often heard it being mentioned that, whether in business, in life or just about anything you do, you need to be passionate about it. It does not matter what it is, you must be passionate about it. Then you can make money doing it. Years ago, when I first started out in the business selling life insurance, I often thought about it. I thought I enjoyed it, but selling is not my forte. Yes, I do a fairly good job, but then, there are times selling gets to me. Being somewhat stubborn or persistent, depending on which angle you look at it, I stuck at it until I got result. If you are me, I’ll say this is not my cup of tea.
I also often wondered why, those folks who are older than me, those who have work several years and have commitments don’t just go do something they enjoy for a change, rather than being stuck at jobs that they dislike. I thought, just go something different. Now with more maturity, I realized, it is not that easy. I mean, who wouldn’t want to work at something they enjoy and get paid lots of money for it?
Then, about 5 years ago, I came across another school of thought that put this a little differently. This 2nd school of thought says, don’t do what you are passionate about, do what you are good at. I first came across this idea in a book titled Work Less, Make More by Jennifer White. In the book, Jennifer gave an example, of her client who was passionate about golf and decided to start a golf shop, selling golf equipment. Though he was passionate about golf, he wasn’t good at selling to customers or managing a business. At the end, he was even more miserable than before he started. There are other examples in the book, but the question is, have you ever done something like that? Done something you are passionate about but later failed to provide a sufficient income for yourself? I think many people have.
For want of better description, let’s call this the Gifted group, gifted being something you are naturally skilled to do easily. Now, I’ve always been inclined towards the Passion school of thought until only later I begin to see the merits of using our Gifts. All of us are being gifted with one or more talents. The challenge is many of us did not have the opportunity to develop those gifts to a point that it can provide a good income. If is much easier and less risky to go into the main stream job, for example being a doctor, lawyer, accountant, programmer etc. I think perhaps at the beginning when you are young, your passion and gifts are at the same place. Without proper guidance and support or opportunity, some just don’t develop that passion and or gift. Along the line, our God giving talents lie dormant or the very least, under developed to a level high enough that it can be exchange for money. All this is fairly common. You see people changing jobs or industry midway through their career, or jump into business.
Lucky are those gifts are recognized, had the opportunity to develop them, and find their passion also converge. What about if you are already past that age? You have developed other skills like management, but your passion lies in something totally unrelated, say playing music. You are fairly good at management, you don’t shine, it sure pays for the house and car and the kids education, but there are days you totally detest it.
I can’t say I have THE answer. I mean, different strokes for different folks. Having been in and somewhat still in a situation like that, I have taken steps to apply where my heart and gifts point me. I’m getting some results at the moment. Whether it will work out to the degree I want, I don’t know but that make life exciting, right.
But I think if you really shine at something, where you get result easily, then you should continue doing it. Don’t give up your day job just yet. When the money is there to pay for bills, most of us feel the urge to do the things we like, but do not pay the bills. It is when money become a pressure point that we feel doing stuff we don’t necessarily enjoy, isn’t that even worst off? If you did not jump off into the deep end, quit your job and put everything into an unproven venture, at the very least, you won’t have the added burden of thinking of survival. So, I wouldn’t want to put myself in a position where money would be a concern. How are you going to have the peace of mind to find develop your gifts if the prospect of going hungry is there, right?
Now that is out of the way, you could try to steer your career to some area where your passion lies while still doing the thing you are good at. Makes sense so far. In today’s world with things changing so fast, if you have to learn a totally new skill, that might take too long. This is not to discourage you, but recognize the time needed to learn and sharpen your gift to a skill that is valuable to somebody willing to pay. If you can’t do that, it will just be a hobby. Hobbies are fine, but we are talking about doing something you enjoy AND generating enough money to live on.
I know, in certain situations that would be next to impossible, but today we have the internet. With the internet, opportunities are abound. If you like a certain subject, you could write about it and sell the information over the internet. You could also set up an online business in the area of your passion and gifts with little risk to capital. Try your skills there. There are more opportunities today then ever before.
What ever it is, do something where your heart tells you. Life is too short not to explore. In my own circle of contacts, and I’m sure you would have come across this as well. You hear and see of retired people starting in fields totally different from the one they retired from. I also think that if you don’t use or develop your gift, you’ll be unhappy! Life becomes boredom. I’ve seen it happen and probably you have too.
Let me leave you with this final thought. You have also heard friends say; someday I’ll do the thing that moves them. I say, since you are going to do it someday, why not let that someday be today. I guarantee, you might just find life suddenly take on more meaning, you’ll be eager to get out of bed and be excited. Over time, as you develop that gift, you might just find that your gift and passion might just converge. That would be ideal, but if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. Who know, you could use what you are good at to further what you are passionate about. That’s a thought.
That would be worth it, wouldn’t it.
0 comments
You get to right to be heard first! Fill out the form below.
Leave a Comment