by Cody Hodge

Created on: February 16, 2009

I often say that talent without passion is like having no talent at all. Sure, you will know how to do your job, but will you want to do your job? If the purpose of a career is to define who a person is, and to give them a legacy, wouldn't you want a career that would enable you to feel good about yourself? So many people choose a career based on money, or because a parent told them to go into a certain career path. What if we just picked a career based on what we wanted to do in life?

Obviously this isn't possible, as you need skills, and the ablitiy to actually do your job well, but doesn't passion indicate this? Think about it, if you are passionate about somethign, wouldn't you work as hard as you could to make sure that you were doing the best job possible. In turn, this would elevate your performance, and even if you weren't the greatest talent wise, you would still be able to do what you love, as your passion would make up for lack of talent.

We see it all the time in sports, where the guy who doesn't have as much talent as other players still makes the team because of his desire to be the best that he can be. Why then don't people just go out and do what they love, and make the best of it, instead of going into corporate America, and just blend in?

I think it just takes time, and patience, and skill, and luck all at the same time to make a passion a reality. Take writing for example, it takes a long time to make a tangible income, and a lot of work must go into it. So while it may look like someone is hindering their passion, perhaps it just isn't feasible to go into it full time, because of other responsibilities.

Perhaps someone is doing what they love, and they aren't any good at it, which may bring them down. They feel like they should be doing better, and if this is what they love, and they are no good at it, where do you go from there? I think in that case you just need a good mentor, someone who can show you the ropes, and how to make the best of what skills you do have, and maybe help you discover a new passion, or a passion you didn't know you had, that you may be better at.

If you have a passion for something, then go for it, and don't look back. Do what you have to do get to where you need to be in your career, and don't take no for an answer. It may take a long time, and there will be setbacks, but do what you love, don't apologize for it, and be the best you can be at what you love to do.

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