Make Your Passion Follow YOU

Make your passion follow you. Follow your passion is among the top lazy cliches spoken by motivational speakers.

The “follow your passion” statement doesn’t accomplish much. When I was a kid, my friends and I just had a lot of fun doing stuff. We didn’t have to wait for inspiration. We seized the moment. We were led merely by curiosity and excitement. Why wait for the inspiration and passion for becoming successful? Success is not a destination; it’s a journey, a process of small wins along the way. During the voyage, we accomplish things. We experience the good, bad, and the ugly of the school of life. Living and experiencing life should make us passionate. Don’t wait for passion to fall from the sky or knock you upside the head. Make your passion follow you.

You don’t have to tap into passion or some lofty purpose to do what you love to do.  Forest Gump, said, “I just felt like running.”  When we do what we like to do, good things happen.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said — ‘Do the thing, and you will have the power.’ Michael Jorden with help from Nike said the same thing, ‘Just do it!’ I’ll bet sometimes; Michael didn’t feel like going to practice and playing basketball.  Don’t wait for a feeling or an inner voice. The wind blows on us all, but we must set the sail each day to catch it.  We must be in motion to steer the boat.

But if I could just ‘feel’ it THEN I’ll know what to do with my life! Think about three things you did over the last week that you enjoyed. Did you have to get inspired or feel the passion for accomplishing it? I’ll bet you already found your passion; you’re just ignoring it. We do something sixteen hours a day. What you are passionate about is probably right there in front of you, you’re just avoiding it. The problem is not a lack of passion for something. The problem is productivity. Stephen King, said, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

Go to work, and be productive both on and off the job.  Discover ways to create value for others and your passion will follow you, not the other way around.  I spoke with Terri Trespicio recently because I was intrigued by her TED talk. Stop searching for your passion. Enjoy this short video from Terri Trespicio.