part0045

“I think the foremost quality – there’s no success without it – is really loving what you do. If you love it, you do it well, and there’s no success if you don’t do well what you’re working at.”

Many of us are blinded by the need to make more money, so they wind up doing jobs they hate because they pay well. Staying in a job just for the money and nothing else is giving yourself a raw deal – your mental well-being and sense of purpose diminish even though your wallet gets fatter.

However much you’re making, there’s probably someone up the line who’s making more than you. Your work is making them richer, but if you love what you do there is no imbalance there at all. If it’s possible, it’s even better to strike out on your own and do what you are passionate about fully for your own and your family’s financial benefit. That way you are not accountable to anyone but yourself and can pursue your dream to your heart’s content.

Never work because you have to, work because you want to. If you are young, start charting and following the path to your dream career right away. If you are already stuck in a boring and unfulfilling job, start working on your strategy to get out of it. Take the classes and start building the connections you need for your dream job. When you are ready, take the leap. Even if that means having less money, the change you and your loved ones will experience in you will be more than worth it. Passion also breeds excellence, and chances are you will find the world drawn to what you produce and you may end up financially better-off than if you went into something just for the money.