“Make
your passion and your work, one and the same.”—Ray Dalio
Last week, I read an interesting book
by the professional speaker, Todd Duncan. It is entitled, “The Power to be Your
Best.” In many ways, Todd nudges us to be just that: our very best. One good
thing, out of the many fine pieces of the book is the focus of today’s article:
making your passion and your work, one and the same—loving what you do.
Todd narrated his presence in a seminar
that was led by the sales guru, Tom Hopkins—a long time ago. On that day, he said
he received the counsel that not only, instantly changed the direction of his
career but the rest of his life.
What is this golden advice? I am assuming
you can’t wait to know. Keep reading friend, that’s a job that I must deliver
for you, right here, right now.
In a hall filled with enthusiastic
listeners, Hopkins imparted: “There are
not many things you need to get the life you deserve. In fact, every one of you
in this room possesses the ingredients for success. But
more than any other one thing, you MUST love what you do.”
Loving What You Do
While Hopkins’ last sentence might
appear a little didactic to some people, if you pause to think deeply about it,
you will realize the truth embedded in his words. Arguably, it is hardly
fulfilling for anyone to spend a huge portion of a very limited life span,
doing what he or she doesn’t really enjoy.
Tell me, what is worth pursuing if it
is devoid of deep emotional satisfaction that naturally accompanies any labour
of love? For you to answer this question,
first consider the following words from the co-founder of Apple Inc., Steve
Jobs. He contends: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way
to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way
to do great work is to love what you do. ” With this, I think I can guess your
answer right.
Unifying Your Work
and Passion
As simple
as that “unity” may sound, it is no easy thing. Many seekers couldn’t get it. A
lot of people have died with their music still buried deep within them. They
merely managed to earn a living, neither enjoying what they did nor did what
they really enjoyed. They failed to live out their heart desires: their true dreams.
Why so? You may wonder. Because finding what you like
to do is one thing but learning to do it really well for it to become a unique business
is another thing entirely. And that’s the exact challenge the American
billionaire investor, Ray Dalio throws to me and you know now: to make our
passion and our work, one and the same.
One approach to address such a difficult
challenge is by asking yourself a key question like this:
“What am I really passionate about
that can significantly benefit the society?”
Or, put it another way…
“Can my dominant passion be channeled
to solve a specific problem around me?”
In many cases, if we think deeply
enough, and are willing to do the necessary work to make something happen,
there is almost always a practical answer to that powerful question.
For us, the huge responsibility here
is to cultivate a useful skill—with our dominant passion—that is highly valued
by others. And to achieve such a feat is to realize the rare joy of living a
dream which many only hope to achieve. By making a business out of doing what
you love, you naturally love what you do. Your passion and work become a
unified one, at the same “molecular” level.
Finally, whether you succeed at this
feat sooner or later, you must keep the words of a jazz superstar, Ella
Fitzgerald on top of your mind in your quest to finding fulfillment and joy in
your business and career. She said: “Just don't give up trying to do what you
really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can
go wrong.”
Not surprisingly, Bill Gates thinks quite
the same; to find fulfillment and joy in your work, just be true to yourself
and follow your heart.
