Seek Purpose Not Passion

"Follow your passion" has got to be one of the most overused pieces of advice for young people starting their careers. Certainly there is some truth that if you do something you love as your occupation, then you'll never work a day in your life.

The problem with that though is no matter what your passion is, there will be some element of the work that is difficult or boring that makes you question whether it is worth it.

And often times, the answer becomes "no, it's not worth it" and so you quit and find the next thing your passionate about until the same cycle happens again.

What is really going on is passion is a very selfish, inward looking thing. You're only looking at your own wants and desires, and as a result, it is difficult to gain true happiness and contentment this way. That has to come from the admiration and gratitude of others. And that has to come from finding your purpose, not your passion.

Unlike passion, purpose is an outward facing thing. It explicitly requires you to answer "how will I impact this world in a positive way?" You are now thinking of others first and how you are going to improve their lives. And with that improvement will come the admiration and gratitude your soul seeks for true happiness and contentment.

People with purpose are unstoppable. Unlike passion, when they hit an obstacle or they get bored, they have the heart and perseverance to push right through because this is what they were put on this world to do. 

I know from experience myself. I followed my passion in my career and never felt fulfilled. This is because my passion which was resort development/investment clashed with my purpose which was helping people save money to achieve security and freedom. I could never enjoy my job knowing I was ultimately helping people waste money, not save it, and the fact that I was just making the wealthy resort owners and investors more wealthy at the expense of the vacationers and resort employees.

Now that I know my purpose, I am in the process of realigning my profession so it aligns with my purpose. I am also working on side projects, like this blog, as a way to achieve personal fulfillment even if I am not successful in adjusting my career.

So seek purpose, not passion when determining your path in life. And once you find your purpose, do everything you can to get the word out so the law of attraction can begin to work in your favor. People love to support other people who are pursuing their purpose.