Inspiring people to live their dreams is one of my true joys.
My purpose in life is my passion. My passion is my purpose.
But I seem to be a rare bird in some regards. Some people choose a purpose not based on their passion but to fulfill some survival need. Folks often work a job predominantly to make ample money to cover the survival basics like:
- a mortgage or rent
- food expenses
- tuition for the children's school
- car payment
in addition to working mainly for receiving health benefits.
Working for a survival purpose is okay if you do not mind trading your:
- freedom
- happiness
- joy
- peace of mind
- passion
for surviving.
However, if that trade does not sound like a bargain you may want to consider tying your purpose to your passion.
One Inaccurate Argument for the Purpose Survivalist Crowd
I recall speaking to someone who claimed that if everybody left their jobs to follow their passion that the world would basically collapse on itself. He reasoned that people need to work jobs they feel less than passionate about to keep the world spinning on its access. How would humans eat fast food without fast food employees? How would the government function without employees?
I understood his logic but disagreed with his perception. Humanity has proven repeatedly how change erodes the useless to make room for the useful. I walked into a Wendy's in NYC two years ago. 4 kiosks greeted me. One human employee filled orders placed through the kiosks and did nothing else. All money changed hands with computers/machines. A human at a desk served up the food prepared by humans working the kitchen.
The world did not fall apart because 4 computers took orders. As a matter of fact, the ordering process seemed far quicker dealing with AI than a human cashier.
If everyone left their jobs to purse their passions those passions manifest as:
- businesses
- jobs
- hobbies
would greatly benefit humanity through the concept of evolution. The world would improve versus collapsing because passionate people:
- have a passion
- see clearly
- spot opportunities in obstacles
- advance the world we know today
Fools clung to horseback riding as the permanent way to get around as Ford rolled out his first automobile. But evolution guaranteed that everyone eventually got around via automobile, save rural or remote areas.
Life is change. Humans choose how life changes based on their personal decisions. If a massive influx of fast food employees quit some creative human or group of humans would engineer a completely human-free fast food model. Or perhaps 2 humans would man the grill because they genuinely loved preparing food while the other duties would be fulfilled by AI. Or maybe humans would get the hint and completely do away with fast food because we'd realize it is not particularly nutritious, healthy or satiating for an appreciable period of time.
Mix Your Purpose with Passion
Even if you temporarily need to work a job to support yourself or your family consider taking a job resonant with your passion.
Or perhaps you can start an online business you feel passionate about while working a full time job.
Inject passion into your purpose to enjoy life. Feeling depressed signals a deviation from your passion. Stepping back into your joy creates an instant happiness surge felt by people you engage with routinely.
Frame this post as a check up. Life passes most by because people generally anchor themselves to survival mode for 40 years. Folks usually work a job to get money and health benefits until retiring at age 62. But do you want to sacrifice your passion for 40 years? Does working mainly for money and health benefits feel fun? Do you really want to spend 70,000 to 80,000 hours of your life to cover the survival basics when you can have fun and earn a living based on your passionate purpose?
If you do something beneficial to humanity and have a blast working that service you can make money through the channel via a business or job.
Mix your purpose with your passion.
Have fun helping people to prosper while you enjoy the ride.
