At some point in your life, I’m sure you’ve been told or have read somewhere “Follow your passion and you will find eternal happiness”. If this advice has worked for you, then don’t waste your precious time reading on – all I will say is that is awesome and well done for being one of the lucky ones.
Throughout my travels, I’ve heard all too often the common phrase: “I’ve lost my passion”, particularly from small business owners, who took the plunge or leap of faith because they simply followed their dreams and passions. Being a small business owner myself, I can fully relate, but when I’m confronted by this type of disillusionment, I ask the question: “What is your purpose”. The response is unsurprising with people appearing startled, perplexed and soon becoming uncomfortable.
As I reflect in lockdown, this got me thinking about the difference between passion and purpose. To me, passion has a ring of flamboyance to it. Passion is about energy and motivates us to be creative and connect with what we are doing. Most of us have many passions and that’s wonderful, but when things get really tough, simply following a passion does not always carry us through.
From my perspective, evaluating your purpose can be far more enriching and practical. It may not be as glossy or feel as exciting as discovering your passions, but understanding your purpose is key to fulfilment. By connecting your values to how you can help others is a great place to start and you will know you are on the right track when words such as unbreakable, uncompromising, long-term and gutsy, describe how you feel about your purpose.