If you pursue your passions first and foremost, you will be happier, more successful, and more excited to get up every day. You will uncover an energy and drive you didn’t know existed. That’s the essence behind Mindset #2 of The 7 Mindsets, Passion First.
A commonly held view is that we should pursue the bigger paycheck over work that we truly love. By choosing safety and security, we might be jeopardizing our happiness. Consider “Jane.” Jane was math whiz in high school. Wise adults who loved her and wanted to see her succeed encouraged her to pursue an accounting degree, even though she didn’t enjoy accounting. She did as the wise adults advised, got her degree in accounting, and is now working for a financial organization where, in her words, her job is “sucking the life out of her.”
That’s sad. And, that’s a reality for many. The latest Gallup poll indicates only 31.5% of U.S. adults are actively engaged in their jobs. 51% are disengaged in their jobs, and scarier yet, 17.5% are actively disengaged at work (a.k.a. you quit working but you are still employed)!
It is not your employer’s responsibility to engage you at work; it is your responsibility. Take steps to get more engaged in your job or find something different.
In The 7 Mindsets to Live Your Ultimate Life, the authors indicate that “no matter what your chosen vocation, great success and meaning will require the overcoming of massive hurdles and obstacles along the way.” I can vouch for that! It’s not an easy path but it is a fulfilling path.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain
Whatever you do, work at it with all heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23