Passion Is NOT Found. It Is BUILT.

Passion Is NOT Found.  It Is BUILT.

For many donkey years before, I firmly believed that PASSION IS FOUND.  I am WRONG.  I thought it's like you HAVE IT or you DON'T.  Mea culpa.  Probably I learned things the damn hard way because after I stumbled, got bruised and 'almost fell off the cliff', I reached this irreversible realization that Passion Is NOT Found.  It Is BUILT.  HOW and WHY it took me donkey years to come to grips with that realization is moot and academic.  WHAT matters I am NOT off-track anymore😃😃😃

When I was quite active in the job market then, I've long believed that the admonition to 'FIND YOUR PASSION" is some of the worst [ever] career advice I ever heard.  It probably comes from my personal experience because I always dreamed to be a lawyer because, besides my communications proficiency, geo-politics and all those legal tussles really pulled me towards envisioning that legal career.  BUT I did doubt my passion when I dropped from law school to switch over to a technology career, spending years for intensive IBM trainings📗📙📘

Now, let's call a spade a spade.  The idea that PASSION is a pre-requisite to career happiness and achievement is way off-base.  That kind of 'crap' advice encompasses two damaging MYTHS about PASSION that, like all MYTHS, have a kernel of truth to them.  First off, is the MYTH that if you do "WHAT YOU LOVE" eventually you'll get good enough at it that you will be paid lots of money to do it.  That advice is followed that we should NOT worry about $$$$ as we are getting your career off the ground because it will MAGICALLY fall from the sky after some time you spend doing WHAT you love💚💛💜

Sadly, that is NOT always true.  While it is true that people generally perform better at tasks they like than those they DON'T, and high performance can lead to compensation.  BUT plenty of people are PASSIONATE about things they AREN'T good at!  And there are many jobs that even the most skilled people DON'T make much money at.  The advice NEVER seems to square those two realities❌❌❌

The second MYTH is that if you find and follow your PASSION, you will be blissfully happy every minute of your working life.  BUT that's just AIN'T true.  Lots of 'DREAM' careers include elements that AREN'T fun.  This MYTH is utterly damaging because it can lead people to quit jobs that they may be quite good at and could provide them the life they want.  To rectify this skewed thinking, let us agree that PASSION IS NOT FOUND.  IT IS BUILT✅✅✅