Many of us start off with intentions to make a living doing what we love, but the majority of them have remained just that—intentions.
Perhaps you know an amazing musician or writer or athlete and thought, “Boy, I’d love to be that person’s manager.” But why not say that about yourself?
People have great talents and passions they can make a living from. Whatever they are, I can assure you there’s a way to make a business out it. Can it be as easy as “do what you love and the money will follow?” Of course not. If you love to play guitar and only sit in your room practicing, that’s a hobby, not a business. To turn the hobby you love into a business requires implementing strategies that will monetize your passion.
Many people believe achieving their dreams of making a living doing what they love involves risk. I challenge that. I believe that not going after your dreams is the biggest risk of all. Imagine the difference to the world if the best musicians or inventors never expressed their talents. Do you think Pablo Picasso, the famous 20th-century artist, would have felt fulfilled if he’d earned a living as an insurance salesman? Absolutely not! Pablo would have been suppressing his true talents and not expressing who he was meant to be.
Simply put, you can most powerfully live your life by making a living doing what you love, expressing who you truly are.
How You Think About Work
When you hear the word “work,” does it evoke unpleasant thoughts? Perhaps you think the only way to make a lot of money is doing something you don’t like.
Not me! I absolutely love what I do, and I get paid for it. I write books teaching people and organizations how to better themselves. I produce music with positive messages heard all over the world. Overall, I help people feel good about themselves. Yes, it takes hard work and long hours to carry out my intentions. And yes, I make a nice living doing what I love. The money I earn is a natural by-product of doing what I love. That can be true for you, too.
What’s Your Super Passion?
Perhaps you’d like to be a comedian making others laugh, helping them forget their troubles while getting paid well for it. Or maybe you’d like to travel the world, taste exotic foods, and write about it for a living.
So, what is your one super passion? Is it riding horses, painting, writing, acting, dancing, fitness, or teaching? Whatever it may be, it’s time to make a living at it. Push aside the excuses about why you can’t monetize your passion. None are good enough!
5 Ways to Overcome Excuses
The truth is many people have found themselves in tough situations, yet they still made a living doing what they love. To overcome excuses and live your passion, keep these points in mind:
- Never let others’ opinions determine your path in life. I’ve known people who have quit jobs they were passionate about. Why? They allowed others to persuade them they should be doing something else. Only you know what truly excites you.
- Don’t sell out! That means don’t abandon your dream to live someone else’s dream. Focus your attention on what you need to do strategically every single day. Instead of chasing a fast dollar, stay on track and follow where your passion takes you.
- Create your own think tank. Hold private sessions with colleagues who have similar goals. Set up synergies! To make the best of your time, be sure to set an objective for each session.
- Let go of fear and embrace change. It’s never too late to start. A 60-something older executive I know left the corporate world to follow his passion about soccer. He now has a career coaching children’s soccer. He’s never been happier.
- Breathe in inspiration by finding others who have climbed similar mountains. Study them, read their books, watch their movies, ask them questions. What can you learn from them? How can you integrate their strategies into what you’re doing?
Express Who You Are
Freedom and peace of mind stem from your ability to express who you are and what you love to do. Invest in yourself by finding ways to do so. Write down as many ideas you can, no matter how farfetched. Keep the list going. You’ll be surprised at the myriad of creative ways you can make a living doing what you love!
By learning to control your thoughts and stay true to yourself, you can do what you love, and yoursmile will follow.
My new bestselling book Discover Your Business Power: Insights for Genuine Self Leadershipprovides strategies to help you discover your passions and purpose. It then shows how you can harness the power it takes to create the life and work you love, to enjoy the fruits of your passion.
Remember, this is an era of tremendous opportunity. As Winston Churchill once said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” So when you focus on solutions instead of problems, you can prosper as you learn to make a living doing what you love.
Nikkos (Nikk) Zorbas is a renowned performance coach, bestselling author and professional speaker. He loves to help business’ and individuals maximize their potential. He splits his time between Las Vegas and Mesquite. His monthly column appears the first Monday of every month on www.MesquiteLocalNews.com. For more information, visit his website at http://www.nikkoszorbas.com/
