We all have dreams of where we want to be, what we want to achieve. We might be just starting out, or closing in on those dreams, but there's always a little more that can be done.
Having multiple opportunities going at once is a surefire way to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Read MoreThis post is the last in a three-part series about achieving success in professional careers. While incorporating your passions into your career is a great way to build fulfillment, this series is applicable to anyone looking to succeed. The first post focused on defining goals, read that one here. The second was dedicated to the importance of learning from others, so check that one out here. This post dives into the most important part of creating a successful career.
Regardless of how you define success, we all want some form of success for ourselves. Whether it’s building a successful company, starting a loving family, or helping as many people as possible, we want to accomplish goals. There are numerous books, seminars, videos, and other materials about achieving success in life, many of which are great resources.
However, what I think is the most important element is simply this:
Do what you say you’re going to do.
It’s such a simple concept, but it’s so uncommon that people celebrate when we actually do it.
Read MoreA few days ago, I had the opportunity to address some of the best students at my old high school as the keynote speaker at the National Honor Society Induction Ceremony. It was a great honor and I spent a lot of time planning and thinking about what I was going to say. I came up with different ideas about what passion really means, or how to incorporate it into a life, or what great potential these students had. As the event drew near though, I felt compelled to speak on something a little different.
In the end, I decided to focus on 3 points: Challenges, Mistakes and Support.
Read MoreMany of us have passions that inspire or motivate us to individual greatness. But very few passions are present in a vacuum. Our lives are filled with other people and we interact with them on a daily basis.
One way of finding and implementing our passions is through realizing where we can help others. Help doesn't have to be a volunteer effort or a free gift, but rather recognizing what others can benefit from what we bring to the world.
Read MoreMotivational speaker Jim Rohn has been quoted as saying that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. While I'm not quite sure what an "average of a person" is, I get that he is referring to the general habits and behaviors that we exhibit.
If you've ever seen someone spend time with an old friend and begin to act similar to them, you've see the influence we can have on each other.
While this can be easily seen as a downside (teenagers and their ill-behaved friends are a classic example), it can also be used for positive actions.
Read MoreIn order to pursue your passion, it can really help to develop a positive environment around you. In particular, get rid of drains, things that suck the life out of you.
That could mean removing certain people from your life, leaving jobs that take everything from you and give nothing in return, or moving into a different living arrangement that doesn't constantly cause you stress.
Now, that's not to say that everything has to be perfect before you start on your journey, but it definitely helps to get rid of as many negative things as possible. I've seen people completely drained after a long day and they have nothing left to give to their passions. What are the chances that whatever strength they are able to muster will allow them to build anything more than a small hobby?
Read MoreI haven't learned my passion yet.
I haven't learned what I need to know in order to become a bona fide inventor or creator of a successful business.
And that means I'm not ready.
I'm not ready to make that transition, to work specifically on it as a career, to live out my passions of tinkering and creating (Uh oh, if you haven't read Crazy Enough To Try yet, I'm giving away the not-so-surprise ending, haha).
And that's ok. Because we're always learning about new ideas, new concepts, and gaining new knowledge. And truthfully...you're never ready to make a big jump.
Read MoreDon't hide your passions. Sharing your passions with others is a surefire way to find other people who are interesting and who may also share your enthusiasm.
This past Tuesday, I attended TEDxBoston 2013, and was blown away by the amount of passion and drive just floating around in the air. I will post some of my favorite talks once they are available, but needless to say, there are quite a few amazing things going on in Boston area.
The tagline of TED conferences is "Ideas worth spreading" and that is key. It's not enough to have an idea and keep it to yourself, it's also about sharing that idea with others. From sharing it, the idea takes on a mind of its own and morphs into something beyond your control, something that you couldn't even dream of before. From there you can harness it and run with it to create something wonderful.
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