Article
Two: Passion – Is It Really The Key To Success? by Gaynor
Lowndes
I have spent almost a lifetime studying successful people. Not just in the recruitment industry but from all walks of life. One of the common traits that all successful people seem to have is passion for life generally and passion for what they do. No one has ever fulfilled his or her desire without it. But what is this thing called “passion?”
The Australian Oxford Dictionary states that passion is: “the object of somebody’s intense interest or enthusiasm” but I feel that definition is inadequate. I much prefer Justin Herald’s
(www.justinherald.com). He’s the guy that lives and breathes the “Attitude” brand. He says that passion is the fuel that drives you to achieve your goals and is made up as follows:
Productivity – taking action that produces results
Awareness – being aware of what is happening around you
Sensitivity – being sensitive to other people’s needs
Sowing – What you sow, so shall you reap
Individuality – don’t give up your individuality in the pursuit of your goals
Ownership – take ownership for your goals
Not Negotiable – don’t let others affect your passion. It is Not negotiable!
Stephen Covey talks about being pro-active in his best selling book “7 Habits of highly effective people”
(www.Stephencovey.com). Being passionate is about taking responsibility rather than being a victim. Not blaming others or circumstances for the situations that occur in your life. Passionate people make a choice about how they react to the circumstances they face.
I also of course, enjoy Anthony Robbins’
(www.anthonyrobbins.com) teachings on how to “live with Passion” via his books and audio programmes. He talks about living in the moment whilst being focussed on the future and most importantly that if you will yourself to betterment you will achieve just that.
Passion, I think is a personal thing – one individual may be passionate about something in a way that is completely different to another’s. Passion comes from within; it’s like a fire in the belly to do something or perhaps to be someone; to better oneself.
My passion is to be the best that I can be both personally and professionally. That’s on my terms not someone else’s. So I am always learning and growing and as a result can pass on my experiences to others via my training and books. Passion for me is about persistence – don’t give up the first time something goes wrong. Rejoice in rejection! I know it sounds cliché but rejection is really a myth – it just exists in your head so don’t get hung up about someone giving you an objection. Accept that it’s not about you and just move on to the next call. Passionate people don’t give up the first (or thousandth) time they get a “no”, they just keep working for the “yes”.
Passionate people respect others. They speak with intention – in positive rather than negative terms. They understand that what you say about others is a reflection on what others say about you. They communicate with impact – you can hear passion in their voice. Passionate people enjoy more “yes” than “no” in their sales pitches – why? Because if you are passionate you are credible, believable and are more likely to generate trust up front.
So can you fake passion?
I know that many writers talk about faking it until you make it but personally, I don’t think you can fake passion – I think it’s something you feel. You can be passionate in just about everything you do – your family; your car; your job; even simple hobbies. Passion though once discovered can be easily transferred to many areas of your life. Having that passion for an aspect of life, your life leads to far bigger motivations, if only to improve and further enjoy what you love. For example for the car lovers out there, much of the motivation to better oneself comes through a desire to improve it, add to it, and that is clearly transferred to success in life. Passion for work doesn’t necessarily therefore need to involve enjoying work over everything else in your life, after all, all work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy.
I believe that those of us that have been fortunate enough to be in a job that we simply feel passionate about are lucky indeed. We enjoy more successes and feel overall that we are on the right path. Our jobs become our hobbies; time passes much faster (if not a little too quickly!); and we do try always to go that extra mile and that, I think, is the key to a passionate life.
Want to live with more passion?
Then get excited about life. Inject some fun into your working day. Avoid burnout by taking regular “mini breaks”. Stay in the present rather than worrying about the past and the future. Love what you do!
Gaynor Lowndes, the Managing Director of The Recruitment Training Company, has over 18 years recruitment experience, gained in both Australia and the UK. If you liked this article, consider Gaynor’s highly successful book “The Art of Recruitment”. Visit
www.trtc.com.au to place your order.
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