We discussed in previous posts about life, its subjectivity in terms of individual and societal expectations and their contrasting effect that results in discord at an individual as well as at an institutional level. Today, lets talk about the most important phase of life and its relation with passion; career. It is a distinct portion of life, which involves a particular course or progress pertaining to your education or work or any other pursuit that will mould your life and lay the foundation for your future.
When I think of life, career and the importance of passion in both areas it reminds me of one of the few advocates of passion, Larry Smith, an economist, career coach, as well as a great mentor. I never got to meet him in person, but thanks to TED (a nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading), I got a glimpse of what careers are really meant to be in a small talk of 15 mins. There are two main insights which truly connected with me and are not something which can be left ignored by anyone:
Competitive Pressure. We live in a global economy. With current technological advancements, the entire world has become one single market in turn giving rise to competitive pressures. With the world now so closely connected, every entity be it an individual; a young student or an employed professional, an organization; a local company or a global conglomerate, will be subject to comparisons, competition, aspirations and expectations. Though in a way it fosters healthy competitive environments, it also raises the bar and increases competitive pressures. This makes circumstances much more difficult for the ones straying away from the predefined paths and choosing the road less traveled. All this would seem less encumbering if you have successfully managed to identify your life’s path, your passion. Cause when you are following your passion, words will flow incessantly, brain will be engaged deeply, ideas will cascade in your brain and conversations will flow.
Hard-work is the key to success. This won’t sound any new to you. But as true it is, it is misunderstood and often poorly construed. There are good jobs and there are jobs where you will be working like a dog, day in and day out. But, what matters here is, your work, how you do it and is it in sync with your interests. Enjoying work is crucial, it should be looked at as something fun and exciting for which you wake up daily. Excellence can only be delivered then. For this, you need passion, so you can start working on something that makes you forget your sleep and becomes the reason you wake up. That will enable you to live in excellence and not work like a dog.
So, it doesn’t have to be work. You do not necessarily have to find a job and work for someone else. If you have found your passion, find a way to make a living out of it. Then success would be something you live daily, and every day would be more meaningful.
