Do you want to make a boatload of money? Or do what you love?
Because you’re going to have to choose.
I’ve spoken with hundreds, if not thousands, of managers, executives, and—back in the day, artists—about what they do. And one thing remains constant: most people chase money because they don’t have the confidence that if they do what they love, they’ll be financially taken care of. And those who did have the confidence to listen to their passions did so irrespective of the financial rewards.
People who get rich doing their passions do so because they sat still (read: focused on ONE THING) long enough for the money to find them… not because they hedged, or changed course, or did this and that, or kept their options open.
They just went for it.
And slowly, bit by bit, opportunities started to find them and these opportunities guided them to where they were supposed to be. Many times, these people didn’t realize they were facing opportunities. They were just “doing.”
And “getting lucky.”
Call it universal awareness, call it coincidence, call it your subconscious—whatever—that’s just how I’ve seen it happen, time and time again. I’ve heard the story one too many not to recognize the pattern. For instance:
- A woman who loves to bake opens a shop. Her cakes bring in lots of money but her passion is for the storefront… she can’t do both, so she goes with her passions and before long, the customers take notice, the magazines take notice, and the financiers take notice. Now she’s expanding, doing cakes, storefront—all of it. The money found her, but first she had to say “no” to the chasing and “yes” to her passion.
This happens more often then you’d think.
So ask yourself: money or passion? You choose. That’s the way it works. And if you choose passion—and really mean it—and can keep yourself open to the money, then maybe… just maybe… you’ll end up with both anyway.
At least, I hope you do.
Jason Seiden is CEO of Ajax Workforce Marketing. Ajax amplifies brands by aligning employees' online messaging.
I'm Jason. I run a brand agency with a specialization in workforce marketing.
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Love the post Jason, I think you are right on the money (no pun intended) on this. If you choose passion, you might make it pay off, but if you choose money over passion, you likely will never have both. But you may have enough money to get over it.
I know people with lots of money. They don’t get over it. Some dedicate a decade of their lives to making $$$ and then move on to passion, or cultivate hobbies to fill the void (still a passion-centered approach). Others start collecting things to try to fill the void, or start looking down on people w/o money. Both are ways to rationalize the hole in their heart. I had a CEO once tell me he couldn’t do what he loved b/c he was trapped by the cars/club memberships/vacation homes. Literally. And he knew it.
You’re channeling Hugh MacLeod today! Check out http://www.gapingvoid.com or chapters 8, 16, and 30 of his book “Ignore Everybody.” But especially chapter 8. The two of you are birds of a feather.
Ed beat me to it. Hugh calls it ‘Sex and Cash’.