I've always loved reading biographies of exceptional people and I've found out that the one key ingredient that stands out most, is passion. Passion has kept them going long after everyone else has given up. Passion keeps them running on empty even when the finish line isn't in sight. Passion enables them to work on their trade so much so that it no longer seems like a chore. Passion has taught them discipline, hard work, tenacity, endurance, grit, hope, strength and faith...
My very good friend, Albert Einstein said, "It's not that I'm so smart. I just stay with problems longer". The Michael Jordans, Lance Armstrongs, Roger Federers, Steffi Graphs, Jackie Joyner-Kersees and many other world athletes all know the feeling of living a life of passion for their one single purpose in life.
My previous blog post was premised upon the quote, "Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life". Passion is the love that translates our enthusiasm to greatness. Passion makes work fun and choosing a career in a field we're passionate about is truly a blessing. In every field, only the truly passionate become the leaders, trailblazers, game-changers and they serve as that god-like inspiration to the rest of the world. Thanks to the Gandhis, Thatchers, Lincolns, Martin Luther King Jr.'s, Churchills, Mandelas, Roosevelts, e.t.c., now we have some sort of a template to follow on seeking our ultimate quest.
I've long concurred with the veracity of the following statement; "No one is lazy, they're just uninspired". So the next time you see someone complaining, lethargic, demotivated, or just cranky on the job, then maybe it's a sign that they'll be more fulfilled in a different career. Only the passionate will continue working with the same enthusiasm, even when they're not getting sufficient paid, or not appreciated. Only the truly passionate will continue down a tough, tumultuous path, even when everyone else is saying it's a lost cause.
The passionate aren't satisfied with just meeting goals, making quotas or receiving the accolades. They keep delivering, long after the fame and attention have disappeared. What makes them exceptional is their ability to find a niche they're passionate about and pursuing it regardless of the obstacles along the way.
True passion never considers alternatives... True passion doesn't accept substitutes... True passion never settles. Indeed, passion is that inexhaustible fuel that elevates man to extraordinary heights of greatness. And only those who are willing to employ it as a lifestyle will go on to make a real dent in the world.
Photo and Video Courtesy: http://asanvicente.com/2011/10/09/are-you-passionate-about-what-you-do-by-thomas-michael-hogg/
