Passion never earned a paycheck. Why? Because passion isn’t enough.
Passion is a word we throw around to justify what we do. But passion isn’t what puts food on the table. It doesn’t pay the mortgage. It isn’t what allows you to travel the world, living out of a backpack.
No, that can be attributed to one thing: Hard work. Effort. Hustle.
We vastly under-appreciate the value of hard work. We’re fooled into believing that success is based on love, passion, even luck or circumstance. But putting forth effort – trying – doing, that’s what creates passion. That’s what helps us to identify what it is that we love doing.
A recent article by Mark Cuban breaks it down like this:
- When you work hard at something you become good at it.
- When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.
- When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it
- When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.
Being passionate about something, truly passionate, requires confidence, maybe more than anything else. When you’re confident you can deliver, and deliver well, when you’re not good, but GREAT at something, it’s ridiculously easy to discover that passion we’re all so desperately in pursuit of.
As I’ve said before: “…The value of hard work cannot be substituted with anything in this world. It is the essence, the life-force, and the reason for success. It’s also the biggest deficiency for most people – the lack of desire to work hard, especially in a society that demands immediate gratification, holds us back…”
The funny thing about passion? It has to be discovered – and the only way if can be discovered is if you’re willing to put forth the effort to find it.
As Cuban says, “…follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.”
How has hard work and hustle helped you to discover your passion?