Working Toward True Passion – Being Good vs. Being Great at Something

I have to thank my parents for this outlook on life. My parents never settled for anything. They didn’t care about being like everyone else. They have always been risk-takers in their own way. Even though I thought I wanted to be the farthest thing from that, turns out I am becoming just like them.

My life post-college has been a “mish-mash” of things. I worked different jobs and in different industries. I thought this was me being lost, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. I thought this was me just trying to find a way to pay the bills. At times I also thought that those jobs were where I would probably end up, that I should just settle for those jobs because I was good at them. But I realize now that it was where I was supposed to be, but to learn from. Every job I took helped shape my career and my pursuit of true greatness. Though I still feel very “green” sometimes I’ve seen myself grow in so many different ways. When I first started I had a different outlook on what I defined as “greatness.” Through all the learning experiences I’ve come to realize that I’m not as much of a novice as I thought I was. What I am, though, is a learner. And I’m never going to stop learning.

I’ve learned that life is too short and we need to do what we’re passionate about NOW. I’m not going to lie – it will be hard, there will be TONS of challenges, some days you’ll be ready to take on the world, other days you’ll feel like you want to crawl under a rock. But I promise, the reward is well worth it! I.PROMISE!

I’ve also come to find that being good at something doesn’t mean you’re meant to do it. I want to be GREAT at what I do. And to me, the difference is the passion. If work will encompass 80% of my life, you better believe that I’m going to do something that fires me up!

I hope everyone out there realizes their true passion. Nothing out there is ever “too far off” or unrealistic. IT.IS. POSSIBLE. Don’t try to be like everyone else, try to be you. That might be the harder route, but it’s the better route. Don’t worry about how much money you’ll make. It’s ok to find a way to pay the bills. It’s ok to work multiple jobs to help fund your passion. But try not to think about the amount of the end result. I know that’s a hard concept to swallow, it was difficult for me too. But with true passion comes true greatness. It will come if you’re truly passionate about it. Wealth isn’t in the money, it’s in the experience.