We just talked about how to find and live your passion, but a recent article on MSNBC.com posed the question: Is passion enough to fuel your career dreams?
My initial reaction to that question is a resounding yes! I believe that with enough passion people can make all sorts of things of happen. I immediately think of J.K. Rowling, Oprah and all of the dream chasers reading this blog, and I see just how powerful passion can be. But in the article, Turning Career Dreams into Reality, Patrick Carroll, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Ohio State University at Lima, has a different opinion. In a study he recently co-authored he said, “Too often we’re so blinded by our passion that we might not listen to common sense, even if we may be doomed to never reach lifelong career aspirations.”
I’m intrigued by the different views on this. What do you think – is passion enough to fuel your dreams or does it blind us from common sense?
I actually agree with Dr. Carroll’s point on this. I think that all too often we do get so consumed in our belief and committment to things, that were are blind to other perspectives. It is difficult at times to remain open to new information and opinions, but it is essential to success.
In addition, I believe that good fortune plays a role in achieving your goals despite your level of passion. One must be aware of those opportunities that present themselves and take advantage of them. The problem is that sometimes those opportunities may be so obscure that one would never recognize them as connected to their dreams.
Having said that, I think that passion highly improves your odds of success because that passion will give your determination and endurance to overcome obstacles and persevere to reach your goals.
Around two years ago, I took a teaching job at a uni though I actually didn’t want it (I majored in English Language Edu, yet teaching has never been my passion). Why? I was being realistic, that I needed to have a ‘real’ job, etc., etc., etc. The result? 1) I spent one year teaching there like a crazy person; 2) I woke up everyday feeling crazy and anxious that I was going to do teaching and admin stuff that I was fed up of in the first place; 3) I went to bed every night feeling crazy and anxious that in the morning I had to do everything all over again and again; 4) I worked without fire, at all (imagine composing mid-term test question at the exact day of the test); 5) I did not enjoy receiving my own salary from working something that I did not care about (lots of times I forgot to take my salary, seriously).
So yes, passion is extremely needed. It’s your fire.