Passion is priceless

The one question that is uppermost in the minds of people is ‘how can I make a success of myself?’ They are seeking answers that relate to the kind of education to be taken, the skills sets required and the type of work experience that can make an individual successful. They do get various answers and yet they remain confused for they are either not inclined to take the hard route or they feel they are inadequate to succeed. The secret to being successful lies in pursuing whatever one does with passion. If passionate no obstacle will be too hard, no mountain too high and reaching out to the stars would seem like child’s play.

You know you have the Passion when you meet the following conditions:

Deep interest – Unless one has a deep interest in whatever one pursue, passion would be the furthest thing that the person is pursuing it for. Very often students take specializations in the their studies not based on what they are interested in but based on what they think the future will want. While some of them manage to get motivated by the future, many students feel they are in a bind as they are unable to change tracks while having no liking for what they are pursuing. Making a success of the future without any interest in what one is pursing, is then an oxymoron.

Enjoying the pursuit – How will a person not having any interest be ever enjoying what she/ he is doing. At times there would be some interested in a certain thing, but they find it hard to cope with the rigors demanded and so they do not enjoy what they do. Without enjoyment, there can be no passion. Take the case of someone pursuing professional sports. While the sport itself may interest the person, the waking up early, rigorous practice, strict diet regime etc may soon prove to be a cross to hard to bear. That is when enjoying the pursuit becomes a penance. No passion is ever penance.

Welcoming challenges – When one is passionate, one is always aiming to raise the bar higher. It is tougher, challenging and fraught with risk of failure. Yet, that is the true test of the deep passion one has for the activity being perused. The challenge keeps the adrenaline flowing, the motivation to succeed high and the pursuit of goals interesting. Welcoming and overcoming challenges is the proof of the passion one has for ones pursuits.

Finding reasons to continue – Many a time, despite ones best efforts, there will be problems, defeats, pain and frustration that will be hard to shake off easily. It is at those times, that one’s passion becomes the inspiration, reason and gives focus for continuing with hope. A classic case is when a player gets injured or has a lean season. Yet, with diligence, persistence and faith she/ he keeps practicing to get back into the reckoning. Even founders of startups face innumerable problems like cash flow trickling, key members leaving, orders not flowing in etc. It is their passion that will keep them going till they turn the corner. A reason to succeed is passion in play.

Try these:

What are the excuses that often crop up and impeded your pursuit of your passion? How do you propose to eliminate these excuses?
List three of your passions as under