Passion
I was reading in the book “The Heart of Mentoring” by David A. Stoddard today and came across this:
Regardless of age, most people look to their work to provide esteem, significance, and accomplishment. We each have an innate need to work. In mentoring young people, however, I have discovered that career is an even bigger issue for them because they are just starting out. Vocationally, they begin with a clean slate, and sometimes uncertainty about what they really are designed to do leads to a parade of trials — and errors. They want to know how to get established in their life’s vocation. But it’s more than finding a job that provides a sufficient level of financial compensation; they also want to do something that gives them a sense of meaning and fulfillment.
What we’re talking about is something I like to call passion, which one dictionary defines as ’strong feeling, either sustained or passing, for or about something or somebody.’ Another says passion is ‘a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.’
He makes a really good point a few paragraphs later, that really struck me,
just because someone is good at what they are doing vocationally, that does not mean it fulfills their passion.
This hits home especially for me, because I feel like I am good at almost anything I put effort into, but I am not passionate about everything. I agree with his first statement that young people especially want to find a vocation where they can exercise their passion, not just make money. I don’t want a job where I hate my work and am not passionate about it. I want to work in a job I am excited about and passionate about. It’s not good enough for me to just have a job.
