“When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.”—Joe Namath
There is joy in doing what you love and doing it well. Mike Rowe, however, has advised recent graduates: “Don’t follow your passion.” He also said that “when people follow their passion, they miss out on all kinds of opportunities they didn’t even know existed.” So, what is one to do? Do what you love or just do what comes along? Maybe both?
Personally, I have had a lot of passions in my life. I chuckle every time someone asks my son “What’s your favorite sport?”, because it always depends in what season he is currently. Presently, it is lacrosse. Ask him what position, and the answer will often be different. At the moment, he is loving goalie. In the end, what matters is that he has fun and does his best. The best opportunity will arise when the time comes. For me, I am 54 years old next week, and I still can’t identify what is my passion. So, I work on the many things I love.
Mike Rowe is right, don’t follow your passion. A lot of people are actually pretty lousy at some of what they might consider passions. At least many are not good enough at something to make it their living. Whatever your hand finds to do—make it your passion.
Two decisions have made my work more palatable. Three have made it downright enjoyable. I make it a daily exercise to consider my “opportunities”; I decide every morning to “leave it all in this room” (e.g., the classroom); and I stopped giving a crap about what other people think or do. It takes less energy now to start the day. I enjoy what I do and I perceive my students are enjoying themselves more (if they aren’t, well, it ain’t my fault).
I don’t know where I would be if I had followed my passions along the way. Certainly, I would not be where I am today. Maybe I might be better off financially or have greater status in the world, but…. There is so much that I would have given up had I followed my passions—my wife, my daughter, my son, etc. I would have missed so many opportunities.
If you are “fortunate” enough to have your path and passions cross, awesome. Few of us do. The key to a rewarding and fulfilling life is to just trust your path and receive what comes with gratitude. This is not to say we don’t pursue our passions and joy in our lives. Rather, it means to be open to the opportunities. Have confidence that you are on the right path and keep moving forward. Most importantly, have fun. “When you have fun, you can do amazing things” (Joe Namath).
Carpe momento!